Protector of the Carja
by IllusivePen
Summary: The Battle for the Spire was finished. Aloy and her allies had defeated HADES. But there are other rogue AIs threatening the safety of people on earth, and Aloy needs to find a way to bring GAIA back to life.
1. Chapter 1: Initializing

**Chapter 1: Initializing**

She did it. It was over. HADES was defeated, Helis was dead, and Aloy knew that she had fulfilled the primary purpose of her creation. With Hades' sparking husk burning behind her, the adrenaline from the last battle finally caught up with her. She felt spots all over her body where she knew bruises would be forming, if they hadn't already. She braced herself on the base of the Spire and slowly sank down. "We did it," she all but whispered. Once her body touched the ground,she was overwhelmed with a wave of exhaustion, and the world around her suddenly went dark.

...

Aloy could hear noises around her, and she knew she wasn't at the Spire anymore. Her body ached and complained, her head pounded, and her throat was dry. But when she tried to open her eyes, she was met with confusion surrounding her mind. Where was she? Her vision seemed dulled, but she recognized the stonework as the same quality she'd seen in the palace at Meridian. When did she get here? And how long had she been unconscious?

Attempting to sit up was a mistake. The slightest movement shot bolts of pain through her limbs. She sank back down and squeezed her eyes shut with a grimace on her face. When the pain subsided, she cautiously looked around the room. The ornate designs on the walls and the fancy furniture told her she was, indeed, in the palace, but nowhere she recognized. She had never actually been inside the palace before.

"Goddess," she croaked out when she saw that there was a pitcher of water near where she rested. Trying to speak made her throat constrict, which lead to a fit of coughing. The sound must have alerted whoever was nearby, because the door to the room tentatively opened.

"Lady Aloy?" She heard a feminine voice ask out. Aloy had curled up in pain from the coughing and couldn't see who it was.

"My lady, you're awake. Would you like me to send for the healer?"

Aloy reached out toward the water in answer.

"Ah, yes, of course."

The huntress felt small arms come behind her and assist her in sitting up. Aloy could then see that a palace servant was next to her bed, pouring her some water. She offered the cup with a gentle smile which was laced with concern. Aloy took it and sipped carefully, not wanting to cough again.

"My name is Mindea. If you need anything during your stay here, do not hesitate to ask for me. But I must summon the healer now that you have awoken."

All Aloy could do was nod. The water helped, but now that her mind was clearing she remembered running through the burning streets of Meridian. She must have done more damage to herself than she realized.

The healer came by and went about his business, applying ointments to burns, cleaning wounds, and replacing bandages. Aloy attempted to ask questions about what had happened since the battle, but her voice was only a squeak. In frustration, she resigned herself to being doted upon, her brows furrowing after every mention of the Savior of Meridian. She was given some more water and another ointment the healer said would help soothe the aches in her muscles, after her bedding was adjusted to allow her to sit up. She was told that her leg was broken but healing well, and that her burns should heal within a week or two. She could already feel her voice slowly returning.

"Now, if you won't be needing anything else, His Radiance has requested that he come to visit while you convalesce. He wanted to be the one to answer all of your questions." The healer bowed slightly and began to pack his things.

"Wait, what…?" That was the last thing she needed. Ever since Aloy told Sun King Avad about what had happened to Ersa, the atmosphere felt heavy around them. She knew he was in grief, but he had made an offer she simply had to refuse, despite the small voice inside her that was intrigued by the possibility. Yes, with everyone's help, she lead the way to saving Meridian from the Faro machines, but she still had a mission to find and reboot GAIA, and it would take her out of Meridian for who knows how long. Judging by the servants now calling her Savior of Meridian, she was willing to bet that their King would be even more grateful to her, and she feared that he would ask the impossible again. She rolled her eyes and huffed, sinking her back into the pillows behind her while the healer simply bowed his head again and turned to leave.

She heard murmurings outside the door just then, and wondered why they sounded as confused as Aloy felt. In moments, she saw why. SunKing Avad walked in, but he was not sporting his usual kingly attire. He wore a simple, white silk tunic and brown linen trousers, and he was holding a tray of food. Aloy barely recognized him, except that she noticed his Carja eye tattoos once he got closer. She also noticed his smile getting wider as he brought the tray closer. She never expected Avad to be dressed so plainly and acting as a servant in his own palace.

"Aloy of the Nora," he said with a lightness in his voice, as if an immense weight had recently been lifted. When Aloy simply responded with a confused look, his smile faltered and he placed the tray over Aloy's legs. "Please forgive me," he cleared his throat, smoothing out his tunic nervously. "Meridian has been going through much cleanup and rebuilding. It doesn't seem right for me to simply stand by and watch, and my court robes hardly seem appropriate for lending a helping hand. I was given word you were awake, so I came as soon as I could. You must be famished."

Aloy couldn't help but smile. She liked seeing this side of Avad - simply a concerned citizen doing his part, but also taking the time to check on his friends. He had told her before that he didn't like the idea of just sitting on the throne, looking down at "the little people," and this proved he was sincere. She nodded and looked down at the tray before her. She grabbed a few grapes and ate them, their juice soothing to her throat. "Thank you."

"No, thank you. I'm not sure I could ever fully repay you for what you've done for us. For me."

Aloy felt heat flow into her cheeks and she shook her head. "I just did what needed to be done." Her voice was still cracking a bit. She had cast her eyes down, but quickly looked back up at Avad to change the subject before he could tell her she was being too humble. "How many days have passed," she asked quickly.

"Your lance still rests in the heart of HADES. The battle was won two days ago. The people of Meridian have only today begun to slow enough in their celebrations to put the city back together, and it is nearly sunset." Avad reached for a piece of cheese from Aloy's tray, which elicited a smirk and a raised brow from the huntress. Cheeky. The smirk faded once questions began pouring into her mind.

"Why… how was I brought here? Have the Nora fighters left yet? What happened to the Vanguard? Where-"

Avad held his hands up at her barrage of questions. "Woah, woah, slow down," a low chuckle emanated from his chest, and Aloy felt as if the sound echoed in her own chest. "I can answer you if you let me. I'm no healer, but it sounds like you may need to rest your voice." He gave a wry smile and chuckled again when Aloy's nose wrinkled. She didn't like holding back her thoughts, and she was pretty sure he just told her to shut up.

Avad took her silence as a cue to continue. He pulled up the chair the healer had been using and sat beside her. "The palace was the closest place we could take you to ensure you had the best care available. You had passed out at the Spire, and Erend immediately brought you here. I then assigned Healer Nothas to the singular task of ensuring your well-being."

Aloy's eyebrows came together. "You shouldn't have done all that. I'm sure there were plenty of other wounded to tend to."

"Indeed, but Nothas himself is advanced in years, and it is more difficult for him to get around quickly. He was more than happy to have but one patient."

Aloy sighed and crossed her arms across her midsection. She was used to taking care of herself, and didn't like having constant attention on her... but she didn't want to admit out loud that she kind of liked the bit of time to gather her thoughts without the constant threat of imminent doom on her mind.

"As for your Nora braves, some elected to stay and assist, but many returned to the Sacred Lands to rebuild there."

"Would you happen to know who stayed?"

"A stitcher, who insisted on staying to repair armor and your own clothes; and a few warriors stayed. Erend would remember their names better than I," he said with a bit of embarrassment at not knowing their names. He always tried hard to greet those he met on the streets of his city, but there had been much to do over the last two days.

Aloy smiled. She knew the stitcher was Teb, her oldest friend. She'd have to find out who the others were. She placed a hand on Avad's hands, which were twisted together in his lap. "Thank you. Really." She was grateful that he had personally seen to her needs. Having a familiar face deliver this news made it easier to hear.

Avad looked up when she touched him, a pained look in his eyes. "Aloy. I could thank you every day and sing your praises to the sun. It's rays only have seen how much you've done for everyone." He paused and gently squeezed Aloy's hand, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. "I want you to rest. Once your are able to move around, I'm sure I could escort you through the city."

The thought of getting out of the palace jarred her and she sat up a bit more. "Avad, you just told me I've been resting for two days. You should know just how much I hate sitting around."

The king smiled with another small laugh and stood, moving the now empty tray to the table next to her bed. "If you feel well enough, then, let's go. The priests will soon be singing for sunset."

It was only then that Aloy really assessed her own body. The healer had given her a silk gown that covered most of her bruises and bandages. Her leg was wrapped in stiff cloth, she assumed so that the broken bone could mend properly. She tested moving her arms and noticed some bruising on her shoulders where she tended to land when dodging blows from the machines. They hurt, but she could push through it. She had to get up and move and see for herself that the city, and by extension the world, was finally safe. She twisted to put her feet on the floor and looked around for her things. Avad seemed to follow her gaze and understood what she was doing.

"I can have Mindea bring you your clothes if you are uncomfortable with Carja silks." He reached over to the crutches that had been leaning next to the bed. When she attempted to stand without them, she hissed in pain and grabbed his arm as she tipped forward. He caught her easily and she couldn't help but notice how strong his arms were. She landed with her cheek pressed against his chest and she swore she could feel his heart pump faster, or was it her own? She swallowed the lump forming in her throat, straightened, and shifted her weight to her good leg.

"Thank you," she mumbled while taking the crutches. "But I'd like to see Teb myself."

"Please be careful, Aloy. I couldn't bear to see you cooped up for too long because you compromised your healing." He smiled then, and gestured to a tall wooden box. "You'll find some Carja clothes in there if you'd like to change. I'll send Mindea in to help if you need it, and I will wait in the hallway." He stopped and took her hand gently before his big grin came back and he dismissed himself. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why he was smiling so big, unless he was just happy to be past the Faro threat?

"That was ...odd," she told herself out loud. She took a deep breath and allowed the exhale to linger. Her breath was shaky from bruised ribs. She really took a beating. Hobbling over to the wardrobe, she opened the door and found a mirror inside. Her jaw slackened as she beheld herself for the first time since she had slept in Olin's house before the battle. She saw the familiar scar from her childhood on her forehead, but now there was a fresh one on her chin, with surprisingly little bruising on her face. But her hair had been washed, brushed, and braided in a single plait that rested over her shoulder. It was free of her Nora beads and small braids, and she had mixed feelings about looking so… Carja. She would have to go see Teb first, she resolved. She needed some normalcy back in her life, to ground her.

Mindea came in and smiled, "It is good to see you out of bed, my lady. Would you like some assistance?"

Aloy grimmaced at being called _my lady_, but turned to her. "Please. Call me Aloy. And, um..." She gestured to the line of clothes, "I guess I could use some fashion advice."


	2. Chapter 2: Connecting

**Chapter 2: Connecting**

When Aloy had been fully dressed and cared for, she hobbled to the door to her chambers. Avad was a man of his word, and as he heard the door open, he spun around and crossed his arms behind him with a smile. "There you are! You don't look quite like yourself, though. Half Carja, half Nora. Let's go find that stitcher of yours." He offered his arm to her and held out his hand to take her crutches.

"Am I now banned from walking on my own?"

The corner of Avad's mouth lifted. "The Sun forbid that the Savior of Meridian should hobble on crutches throughout it's holy city." He made a flourish and a bow, as if he knew it would irritate her, and surely enough Aloy let out a low growl. He had remembered her disdain when they first met, that any one man should be raised on a pedestal above anyone else.

"The Sun can kiss my ass," she blurted out, reaching a crutch out to smack Avad's shin. The servants and guards nearby all let out small gasps at the impropriety of it all, but Aloy didn't care. She didn't worship the sun, and Avad was simply a man. A man in a powerful position, but he could always be reminded of his humanity. Certainly too many of his people thought he really was a sun god. Avad simply let out a free laugh, which elicited a smile from Aloy, and she finally allowed Avad to lead her through the palace on his arm.

Aloy was acutely aware of each and every stare which was cast in her direction as they walked toward the sun temple. She was dressed in Carja finery, but her hair was recognisable by anyone who knew of her: the Flame-Haired Huntress from the Savage East. Were they concerned that their King was paying her so much attention? Were they secretly hoping they could talk to her and gain her favor? She sighed heavily at it all, and even though the walk was short, she was getting tired. Avad led her to a bench along the outer circle of the temple, just as the priests started their song. The sunset was stunning, with hues from pink and red to purple and blue. Smoke was still rising from the distance, as it would take a while to put out all the fires caused by the deathbringers and corruptors. But that simply served to make a more contrasting scene as they looked out beyond the Spire.

Aloy closed her eyes and felt the last vestiges of heat warm her face. She felt Avad's presence as he sat beside her, and she felt more warmth as his hand rested on her shoulder. She turned to look at him and saw the sunset reflected in his eyes as he beheld it.

"The sun sets on another day, and will rise to shine on us again because of what you did, Aloy." Why was it that when he said her name she felt a depth to it that she never felt when anyone else uttered it? She smiled sheepishly, about to deflect the praise, when she saw Teb coming up the stairs to the temple with a bundle in his arms. "Teb!" She moved to stand, but her leg reminded her why she was sitting. Teb gave a smile and came close. "Aloy! I'm so glad to see you alive! What a beautiful sunset, too. They're so different here than in the Sacred Lands." He nodded towards the bundle and held it out to Aloy. "I was honored when the Sun King asked me to repair your Nora armor. I must say, though, the Carja apparel suits you well."

Aloy smiled as she took the bundle and fiddled with the knot holding it closed. "Thank you, Teb. I'm not quite used to the feeling of silk, though. I'm afraid if I do any hunting I'll ruin it." Teb nodded with a slight laugh, and Aloy reached out for his hand. "I'm glad you stayed for a while. Will you be returning home soon?"

"Yes. The Meridian sun is unforgiving," Teb replied, wiping some sweat off his brow. "The others are eager to return. Once I am confident that the vanguard armor is fully repaired, we will start the journey home."

"I would like to spend some time with the Nora who are still in Meridian before you leave. I'll still be healing for a while and would hate to miss the chance to thank them personally. I'm afraid Avad won't let me out of his sight until I am able to thwack him with something."

Avad spoke up then, "I'd need more convincing than that, I'm sure." He turned his attention to Teb. "We can have something prepared in the palace, if that is acceptable? Nothing huge. I think the whole of Meridian will still be holding their own celebrations well into next week."

"Thank you, Avad. That sounds wonderful." Teb accepted the invitation and bid farewell in order to tell the others. Avad had made sure that all of the Nora referred to him by his informal name. He was not their king. Aloy took note of this, and appreciated even more evidence of his humility despite his elevated position in the Sundum.

It was then that Aloy looked back to the Spire. The sun was well below the horizon then, yet the last of its rays still reflected off the top of the tower. She reflected on the last few days in her memory as well. She had deactivated HADES, but she knew there was more to be done. Her trek into Banuk lands taught her that there was still another threat to deal with before she could attempt to reboot GAIA. The AI responsible for construction of the machines, HEPHAESTUS, was still active and creating more and more dangerous machines. She didn't feel that she would be safe to go back to rebuild GAIA until the machines were docile again. And that was if she could even figure out how to rebuild GAIA. Surely Sylens could help, but who knew where he disappeared to? Then something dawned on her and she sat up straight and placed her hand on Avad's knee.

"Avad. My lance."

Avad raised one eyebrow, taken off guard by her sudden movements. "...yes?"

Aloy huffed, slightly frustrated that she had to explain this, but realizing she had been lost in her own thoughts. "You said my lance was still at the Spire. I need to get it back. And the rest of my gear." Her hand shot up to her right ear, panic setting in when she felt nothing else there. "My focus." She must have been so preoccupied with her own recovery that she neglected to check for it.

Avad placed his comforting hands on her shoulders. "It's okay. Everything that was on your person after the battle was placed in a chest and put in your chambers. I'll ask Erend to retrieve the lance. Though, it has become a bit of a monument unto itself. I'm sure Erend can handle that."

Aloy let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding, then nodded. "Good. It will be good to see him too." She placed a hand on one of his and took another deep breath, pushing away the feeling of urgency she'd experienced when she realized she didn't know where most of her things were. "I wish I could get it myself, but I'm exhausted now."

"You held nothing back in your battle against HADES and Helis. Please allow yourself time to heal. Would you like to walk back to your room?"

Aloy stifled a yawn and nodded. "Yes, I think so." Avad helped her up, and they walked arm in arm as before. The sky was dark, but the streets of Meridian remained lit by the lanterns scattered along the edges of the streets. Some people were still cleaning up the streets, but most had settled into their homes for the gracefully warm night. The two walked in companionable silence as Aloy's mind raced around what she still had to do, listing out courses of action and contingencies. She considered every possible deterrent and ways to get around them. She would need to learn much if she were to even hope to rebuild GAIA. Sylens had left his workshop to her. She would have to start there.

They arrived back to Aloy's temporary chambers and the guards greeted them at the door. Avad dismissed them temporarily. Aloy turned to the king but avoided his gaze. "Avad, there's so much I learned on my journeys since the Proving. I haven't really been able to talk to anyone about them. Maybe... maybe I could talk with you. It might prove important to the safety of Meridian. There are more ... entities... like HADES, and I have to find a way to stop them. But…" she stifled a yawn. "Ugh. I hate that I'm so tired already, but you were right. I didn't hold back. I have bruises on my sides from the oseram cannons, on my arms from being tackled by Sawtooths and Stalkers, cuts everywhere from who knows what." Aloy closed her eyes, sighed, and opened her eyes again to see Avad's own eyes looking back at her with concern. She really took in his image, wishing she'd had her focus on her to record it. He was simply Avad, with his olive skin, unadorned and curly hair, and his puppy dog eyes that she only noticed him wear when he looked at her. She fought back the urge to reach up and play with a stray curl that had fallen in front of his face. "I just need some more rest first. Maybe we can talk in the morning."

"I would like that very much, Aloy." He placed his hand on her cheek and let it linger for a moment before handing her crutches back to her. "Rest well, Huntress. There will be breakfast ready for you in the morning."

Aloy unconsciously leaned into Avad's hand until he allowed it to fall. She nodded as she shifted her weight onto the crutches. "Goodnight." She then walked into her room and closed the door.

Avad stood at the door for a moment with a troubled look on his face. He was overjoyed that Aloy had survived and that she was healing, but she had just revealed that her job wasn't complete. He hoped her explanation would comfort his mind, but doubt lingered. HADES had presented a threat not just to Meridian, but to life itself. Was Aloy saying that this could resurface? Were there more entities like HADES? He knew that Aloy had discovered much about the old world during her travels, but he wondered how much she knew. He also felt an instinctive urge to beg her again to stay in Meridian, to stay near him so that he could keep her safe. Even though he knew she could handle herself, he didn't want her to have need to do so.

A guard cleared his throat, and Avad realized he had been lingering at the door for a little longer than expected. He straightened, nodded to the guard, and quietly walked away down the circular hallway, towards his own bedchamber not far away. Perhaps some sleep would do him some good as well.

Aloy made her way over to the chest Avad mentioned. She had seen it before, but only used it as a bench. She crouched down carefully, setting her crutches aside, and opened it up. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she saw her focus on top of the pile of neatly folded clothes, next to her satchels, weapons, and ammo. She put the focus on her ear and placed the parcel she received from Teb on top of the pile. She opened the knot and peaked at the armor inside the wrapping. He had really taken time to clean up any blood stains and dirt. She had been proud of the work she had done when she found the ancient armor in some ruins in the Sacred Lands. She used what she had learned from Rost to incorporate it into her Nora leathers, but Teb had given it finesse. He was as good with a needle and thread as she was with a bow and arrow.

Aloy closed the chest and pushed herself up, finding it annoying to have to keep weight off of her injured leg. She tentatively put a small amount of weight on it, and found that she could probably get away with just using one crutch for now, so she made her way to the bed table and used the wash basin to clean up her face before sinking into the bed. The palace furniture was certainly more plush than she was used to from the Nora lodges and bedrolls under the stars, and she fell asleep very quickly, despite the weights on her mind.

_...Through you, all things are possible…_

_… DESTROY THE ENTITY..._

_… It's hard to imagine where we'd be without you…_

_… I've deleted Apollo. Every copy..._

_… ENTITY WILL NOT HALT TRANSMISSION…_

_… Turn your face to the sun, child..._

Aloy's scream could surely have been heard through the whole palace. She jolted upright in her bed, her heart racing and a sheen of sweat on her brow. She tried to catch her breath as the images from the past faded into the realm of nightmares, but as soon as her breathing slowed, a giant boulder off emotion landed on her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and sobbed uncontrollably, rocking back and forth and burying her head between her knees, ignoring the screaming pain this action sent through her leg.

_What am I doing?! I held it together the whole time, through every ruin, every discovery, every trial… why now, in peace, am I falling apart?_

Aloy's sobs turned to an almost feral growl and she turned to implant her fists into her mattress.

"Focus, Aloy. Focus. You defeated HADES. He's not a threat anymore," she attempted to call upon reason, though some doubt remained. She sat on the edge of her bed and buried her face in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. "Elisabet, I wish I could just find you and really talk to you." A rush of air escaped Aloy's mouth, and she lowered her hands. Her thumb must have accidentally activated her focus, then, because the holographic display turned on.

"The… The alpha registry? Why did..." She stopped herself as her eyes wandered to the name her thoughts had centered around. She must have activated this file when she called out to Elisabet. As Alpha Prime, her name was on the top of the list. Aloy reached out a shaky hand to touch it, and the file expanded.

In the rush of getting to the Sacred Lands before the Eclipse troops, Aloy never thought to actually examine the file closely. She now saw that it held exact details about who Elisabet was, her DNA, voice sample… and contact information. Then she remembered more files she'd either discovered or received from Sylens. She flipped through the files carefully, completely oblivious both to the fear she'd experienced during the night and beautiful sunrise beginning to paint itself in the sky. She was close to something, and she knew it. She just had to keep looking.

"There!" She grabbed a datapoint and activated it.

_...I want to go home. Goodbye…_

Aloy dragged the data to the map screen, hoping the focus would understand what she wanted. "Yes! There it is!"

It would not be a terribly long journey. Maybe three days to get there. But Aloy suddenly felt a deep desire to find Elisabet's home. Maybe she, or something she had left behind, would still be there. Maybe Elisabet could reveal some long-lost information.

Aloy looked up when she heard the sun priests start their morning hymn, and then there was a knock on her door. "Aloy? Are you alright?" She felt a lump in her throat and instinctively turned her focus toward the door. It was Avad. She hesitated for perhaps too long, because the door opened and he took a tentative step inside the room. "Aloy?"

Deactivating her focus display, she forced a smile onto her lips and sat up a bit straighter. "I'm fine, I promise."

The concern didn't leave Avad's face, much to her chagrin. She didn't quite know where to lead whatever conversation might ensue. He must have heard her screaming, and then exclaiming in excitement. She took a steadying breath to try to clear her mind. "Please, come in. I guess I owe you an explanation."


	3. Chapter 3: Preparing

**Chapter 3: Preparing**

As if on cue, there was a knock on Aloy's door. Avad went up to it and opened it to find Mindea, holding a tray, with a surprised expression. "Oh! Mi… uh… Aloy!" The man smiled and took the tray from Mindea: Some bread, some nuts which looked to have some sort of spice on them, and some interesting-looking fruit about the same color as Aloy's hair. "Thank you, Mindea. You may be dismissed." He gently shut the door and brought the tray to Aloy. She took a piece of bread and thanked the king with a smile. Surely rumors would begin circulating among the servants, but that was the least of her worries.

Aloy sighed and leaned back, taking one of the fruits on the tray. She rolled it around in her hands, trying to figure out how she should eat it. She knew she needed to leave soon, but if her bones were still healing, she didn't want to do anything to compromise that. Maybe part of her problem was that she needed to get out of the city. She needed something to do. She jumped a bit when Avad moved to take her hand. He took the fruit from her and started to peel away the skin. When he spoke, it was soft, gentle. It had none of the authority he used when he was playing the part of King, even though he had already been dressed as if he were on his way to the throne room. "There is much weighing on your mind." He started peeling away the individual sections of the fruit, and handed her one. She followed what his hands were doing, but looked up at him when he spoke, stating a fact instead of asking a question. All she could do was nod. She took the fruit and held it for a while. "I have told you before, I am eternally in your debt. You've saved my life on many occasions. Perhaps I can repay you by allowing you to lift the weight on your mind. Tell me," he paused, studying her face. "What could possibly be troubling the Savior of Meridian?"

Aloy's nose wrinkled again, and she inhaled a sharp breath. The look in his eyes was nothing she was used to. She had been an outcast until very recently, with everyone being told to avert their gaze. Even in Carja lands, she was nothing more than a savage. The warmth of expression from his eyes began to melt the walls she had built around her heart. She released her breath, knowing she was delaying, but trying to gather her thoughts. "This might be more than you'll be able to understand."

"I will do my best, then."

Aloy took a steadying breath, exhaling slowly. "After the proving, my primary motivation for leaving the Sacred Lands was to find out who my mother was. I thought for sure I had seen her on a message that the Eclipse used," she gestured to her focus, not sure if he knew that it was used for long-range communication. "Well… I found out who she was. But, she wasn't exactly my mother. She lived thousands of years ago."

Aloy sat up straight and turned to face him fully, swallowing a lump in her throat when she noticed that his steady gaze had never left her face, eagerly attending to what she was saying. "HADES," she started, studying his reaction. His brows furrowed slightly at the seeming switch of context, but the gentleness never left his face. Aloy took a deep, steadying breath once more. "HADES was only a part of something much bigger. Something originally meant to heal the world." She left the details vague so as not to sound insane. "The bigger something is called GAIA. Her creator…" Aloy paused, not sure how to continue without telling him more than his mind could handle. "Her creator was Elisabet Sobeck, from the Old World, the one I saw in the message. I need to find a way to reawaken GAIA, so entities like HADES can't threaten us again. You have seen the effects of one of them. HEPHAESTUS is the entity who creates machines. HEPHAESTUS was released from the command of GAIA and given the power to design new machines. With each passing year that humans hunt machines, HEPHAESTUS builds more and more dangerous ones in retaliation. Self-preservation, if you will. If I can… _fix_ GAIA somehow… maybe I can stop the Derangement. Before it gets worse."

Avad took his time wrapping his mind around what Aloy just divulged. She had said yesterday there was a threat to Meridian, but he hadn't considered something so familiar as deranged machines. And she knew what was causing them? "By the Sun, Aloy. You know so much about the Old World, I fear I could never keep up with you. Elisabet Sobeck… did she somehow tell you about these … what did you call them? Entities?" Aloy nodded her confirmation. That was the best word she could think of to explain to those who had not themselves delved into the ancient ruins. Avad was smart, but the discoveries she'd made go against everything he had been raised to believe. Just like Cyan, Aloy had to weigh everything she said and go slowly so as not to cause chaos and confusion. Avad continued, "So, HADES and HEPHAESTUS were… or, are?... part of GAIA. But GAIA sleeps. You talk as if you are the only one who can reawaken her."

Aloy shook her head. "I don't know. I need to figure out where to even start, and the only lead I can think of is Elisabet. I know it's a long shot, but maybe finding her will give me some answers." She had considered that probably the only other person who would know where to begin was Sylens, but she doubted she'd be able to find him if she went looking for him, so she pushed the thought aside. At least she had a possible map location for Elisabet.

Just then, there was another knock on Aloy's door. She looked towards it and scoffed, "Are you sure these aren't the council chambers? Come in!" Avad chuckled at her comment as Blameless Marad stepped in, with Erend following close behind, holding Aloy's lance from Sylens. To her relief, the Master Override was still attached. Marad bowed slightly. "Your Radiance, Aloy."

Erend plowed through unceremoniously. "Aloy! You made it!" He went to give her a bear hug, but saw some of the cuts and bruises she still wore and instead gave her a gentle slap on the back. "What a fight, eh? I was relieved to hear you woke up. Gave us quite a scare when you passed out at the Spire."

Aloy couldn't help but smile. Erend never cared about pretenses and was always impressed by her battle prowess and "second sight" as he called it. She had missed his presence and optimism. "Thanks, Erend. I'm glad you made it out alive, too."

Erend handed her his lance, "Steel and sweat, Aloy. The Vanguard are a force to be reckoned with!" When she leaned her lance against the side of the bed, he nodded towards it. "Funny thing about that lance, Aloy. I wasn't surprised to find people basically worshiping it, but when we got there, we heard some strange stories. People said they saw 'The Spirit of Corruption' leaving HADES like a butterfly, drifting away into the mountains in the South.

Aloy's eyes widened and her eyebrows came together. "What?!"

Erend held his hands up in defense. "That's just what they said! Why? Is that a bad thing?"

"It's possible. I don't know what to make of it, having not seen it myself." She raked her fingers through her hair, now remembering that it was still in the single braid. "I have to go find Elisabet. I need answers." She looked pleadingly at Avad.

He again spoke, his royal demeanor returning. "Aloy, this sounds dangerous, but it does sound urgent. I can offer you any assistance you need, but I beg of you - please don't go alone."

"I thought kings should never beg," Aloy looked up with a smirk, her arms crossed in front of her. But he said please, and she found that she couldn't say no to that. She noticed Marad looking at her in approval and remembered that he was the one who had taught that piece of advice to Avad to begin with.

Avad shrugged, "It seems you bring out bad habits in me. Erend," the king stood to his full height, placing his hands behind his back. "How many of the Vanguard can you spare? Our Nora friend has a journey she must make."

Erend smiled, "Including myself, I'd say two more ought to be good. You can't sit still for long, can you, Aloy."

Laughing, she shook her head. "Apparently not." She caught the look of concern on Avad's face, "Don't worry, I don't plan to do _much_ fighting until my leg heals. Erend, how do you feel about mounting a Strider?"

"Uhhhh…" Erend scratched the back of his head nervously. "I've seen you do it, but I've got to admit, the thought kinda terrifies me."

"Terrifies _you_? The Captain of the Vanguard? A force to be reckoned with?" Aloy teased, and Erend cleared his throat and straightened.

"Right. Of course you would use my own words against me." He sighed, kicking at the dust on the floor. "I hope you're as good a teacher as you are a fighter."

Aloy's mouth curved in a satisfied smirk, and she leaned back. She was happy to feel like things were moving along again. But she frowned when she looked around and the men were still standing there.

Avad took his turn to clear his throat. "Well, you heard her, men. Go and prepare!" Sheepishly, both Marad and Erend acknowledged the order in their own fashion, Marad bowing, and Erend slamming his fist into his chest. They left the room and Aloy was again alone with the Sun King.

"Aloy, if I'm not careful, you might end up taking my job." He placed a hand on her arm, his tone softening again now that it was just the two of them. "Are you sure you're ready for this? I can feel how important this is to you, but if what you're saying is true, you're the only one who can accomplish this mission of yours, and I fear that if you set out too soon, we may lose you. _I _may lose you."

Aloy's free hand fiddled with the end of her braid. She usually would fiddle with the beads in her hair, but they hadn't been put back in yet. She made a mental note to have Mindea help her fix her hair when she had a chance. But the intense gaze Avad gave her sent shivers down her spine, and she felt a pit forming in her stomach. He was genuinely concerned for her wellbeing, while still acknowledging her drive to be doing something about the problems placed in front of her. She didn't know what to do with the feeling that this had generated in her. She shifted her weight a bit. "Avad… You know I have to do this. I know I shouldn't travel while my leg is healing. But once the opportunity arises, I _must_ go."

"Always off to save the world, then."

"I'm only doing what has to be done," she replied softly, averting her eyes.

Avad nodded, letting his hand move back to his lap. "Of course. But many would look at the insurmountable tasks that 'must be done' and shrivel in their shadow. You are stronger than anyone I know, and it is admirable. I count myself lucky to be under the same sun as such a remarkable woman."

There it was: she wanted to lean into this feeling that there was something between them, but there was a towering barrier. She remembered this look on his face when Avad had first asked her to stay in Meridian. He used the same words to describe her as words easily attributed to Ersa, whom she could only surmise was his former lover, but he never said as much directly. Despite his grief, he still wanted to get to know Aloy better. Perhaps now, while they waited, she could accommodate that, at least.

"Avad, I don't know when I'll ever be able to settle in one place, but I'm somewhat stuck for the time being. Meridian holds a special place for me. I'd like to become more familiar with it."

The man in front of her smiled. "You're sure?"

She nodded. "Of course…. As long as I can get out of the main city sometimes. I can barely hear myself think sometimes."

Avad chuckled, knowing the city must be so much busier than the Embrace. He knew she would not easily acclimate to the amount of humanity within the city gates and would need her space not only now, but any time she graced him with her presence. He stirred a thought in his mind for a moment. "Aloy, your people gave you a title, did they not? A Seeker? I heard only a little about it, but I believe it gives you free reign to go in and out of the Sacred Lands as you wish, correct?"

She lifted a brow, not expecting the conversation to make this turn. "Yes…?"

"If you would allow it, I would like to give you a similar title here in Meridian, not that I would ever trap you on either side of the walls of the Sundom. I just don't like that the only things people know to call you are either 'Savior' or 'The Nora' or 'Savage Girl.' The title of Protector would not be tied to the city itself. You would be sent out to assess threats to the Sundom before they reach it, and you would report back to me or Marad. Truthfully, you have already been fulfilling this role, though should you accept, you would be the first outlander to bear an official court title."

Aloy twirled the end of her braid around her finger and tilted her head as she considered this. Her chest swelled with pride. He wasn't just offering her a place at her side, but a position in the Sundom that seemed to reflect who she already was. "First outlander? You know, I've read many of your tribe's writings. If I'm not mistaken, the Carja and Nora started off as the same tribe." She smirked at Avad's surprised expression and decided to leave that little factoid hanging in the air, but she then considered the king's proposal. "So… is this a job offer, now?" She lifted her brow, hinting at their conversation after the capture of Dervahl.

"If I were foolish enough to make it a proposition, would that make you change your mind?" He studied her face and tentatively reached up toward her face, but falling short. Perhaps he was just as nervous as she felt.

"I guess you will stop at nothing to keep me close, will you."

"I have a weakness, it seems." He seemed to gain enough confidence then to place a gentle hand on her arm. "For strong women who can boss the Vanguard around."

"Don't let anyone else know: Erend is just a softie." She tried to remain serious, but she couldn't help but smile. Her heart was beating quickly at his proximity, and she could feel the warmth from his hand seeping into her side. "Avad…I-" she whispered shakily, feeling his intense gaze.

He shook his head, "No need to answer me now. You have time to consider it. I cannot force an answer from you any more than the sun can convince the moon to sleep."

Aloy looked away from him at first. Did he know how easily he was able to manipulate her emotions? The sun had barely even been up for an hour, and she felt like she'd already soared on the wings of a glinthawk and been trodden under the legs of a trampler.

"If I say yes, will the nobles clutch their chests in shock?"

"Most likely," Avad shrugged.

"I'll do it."


	4. Chapter 4: Assessing

Chapter 4: Assessing

The next few days passed slowly. As Aloy's movement improved, her ache for freedom grew. She didn't by any means feel like she was being held captive, but she hadn't been out in the wilds for far too long. She found and greeted the remaining Nora war party and thanked them for staying to help. They were getting ready to head home to Mother's Heart, and as she watched, Aloy felt a deep sense of sadness. Mother's Heart is the place she had always longed to be a part of. For 13 years, she trained to win the Proving so she could find out who her mother was and maybe understand why other Nora shunned her for something she couldn't control. Now that she knew, she had doubts about whether she would ever feel like she belonged in the Nora tribe. They went from shunning her to practically worshiping her, which made even less sense.

Aloy let out a low growl in frustration. She didn't want to be held aloft and admired, but she was thrust into this world for a singular purpose, and that made her unique. This distinction usually caused one of two reactions in people, she'd learned: admiration or disdain. She could almost ignore the latter, but she didn't know what to do with the former as it was so foreign to her. As she made her way toward the palace, she shook her head to herself. She knew that Avad felt the same dichotomy. He did what he had to do in order to stop his father's cruel reign, not out of desire for the throne. He was a man of the people, and he had shown it time and time again. "How ironic," she mused out loud.

She stopped in front of the stairs to the palace and leaned on her lance, which she'd been using instead of a crutch. She didn't want to go back inside, and this morning she'd strapped her bow and quiver on out of habit before saying goodbye to Teb and the others. She turned to her right and looked into the horizon. She wasn't under guard, but Avad had wanted to introduce her to the nobles later that day. She was eager to see their reaction to her new title, but for now, she needed something else. With her jaw set, she made her way toward the gate. Anyone who saw her would note the determination in her eyes, and she met no resistance. She made it to the gates in little time, and continued to the nearest cluster of trees. She knew word of her absence would eventually reach the palace - Marad had an uncanny ability to know everything that happened in Meridian - so she set to work, ducking into the tall grass.

The air smelled so fresh, lacking the stench of thousands of bodies crammed into the narrow streets. At least Meridian had plumbing. That was something the Nora didn't bother with, and Aloy quickly grew to appreciate it. Now, Aloy could smell the ocrebloom and hintergold, and she smiled to herself as she nocked an arrow, activating her focus and honing in on the nearest boar. As she let the string loose, her eyes widened in surprise. The arrow aimed true, killing the boar instantly, but she felt the strength of the shot as it left the bow. Either she was wildly out of practice, or someone had upgraded her bow while she wasn't looking. "If someone touched my bow without asking," she growled to herself, leaving the threat hanging.

Aloy strapped her bow onto her back and used her lance to stand up and make her way to her catch to clean and prepare it. She didn't need to hunt for more, as she was being well fed in the palace - too well fed, if she were honest. She intended to bring the skin and meat to a poor family she had met while surveying the city in its reconstruction. Their house had been severely damaged by the attack, and they had next to nothing. Aloy hoped this would help.

A twig snapping behind her made her freeze. It had come in the direction of the city, so she immediately thought she'd been followed. In one smooth action, she dropped the boar, nocked an arrow and rolled to face the intruder. Her arrow aimed straight at Erend's right eye, she released the breath she was holding and lowered the weapon. "Dammit, Erend! What are you doing here?"

He laughed, but she could tell he was nervous. He knew her abilities well enough. "I could be asking you the same thing, Aloy."

She put the arrow back into her quiver and strapped her bow. She went back to cleaning the boar, frustrated that her time had been interrupted. "I'm hunting."

"I can see that," Erend responded, squatting down beside her. "Are they not feeding you enough at the palace?"

"Too much, actually," she replied, pushing her knife a bit more forcefully than she should have. "This isn't for me."

Erend cleared his throat, "Well, maybe the meat isn't, but I have a feeling the hunt itself is another story."

Aloy stopped and turned to him, her brow knit tightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The Oseram shrugged casually, "I knew it when I first met you before the Proving. You're not built for city life. Even Nora city life. The wilds are a part of you, as much as you are a part of the wilds."

Aloy's expression softened, and she sat back in the grass, resting her arm across her good knee and looking down at the grass below her. "There's some truth to that. I have spent a grand total of one night in an actual Nora lodge."

Erend laughed heartily, "It's alright. You're your own person, Aloy. I'll fight anyone who tries to make you anything else. Need help with that?" He gestured toward the field dressed boar, and she nodded before hoisting herself up. "Yeah." She grunted with the exertion of being back on her feet. "Ugh. This stupid leg. Can't I just …" she was about to joke about replacing her leg with one from a strider and actually seriously considered it for a moment before shaking her head. "Nevermind."

"Come on, Protector. Avad will be sulking forever if he doesn't get to have his circus show today." He hoisted the boar, holding it a bit away from him with a disconcerted expression.

Aloy smirked, "What, you afraid of a little bit of guts getting on your precious steel?" She jabbed her elbow into his side and started her way back toward the city.

"Hey!," he scowled in protest. However, Aloy had done a good job with cleaning the carcass and there was little worry of getting anything on him, so he grabbed the four legs and carried it over his shoulders.

Once they were closer to the city, Aloy directed him toward a campfire where a small family had gathered. "There, Erend. This boar belongs to them, now." He looked over and saw a small boy and girl laughing and chasing a rat around the campfire.

The mother stood when she saw the red hair and smiled, taking Aloy's hand in hers. "Praise the Sun, Aloy. You are truly a blessing." The husband walked up and bowed his head before taking the boar from Erend. Aloy smiled lightly at the family. "I hope it serves you well."

Aloy and Erend continued on into the city, Aloy looking ahead, but Erend carefully studying her. He never knew anyone could be so selfless. Even Avad, though he was certainly humble, wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to personally help a family he barely knew. Erend knew he, himself, was too hung up on his own shortcomings to feel like he was of any use. He had to hand it to Aloy. She was certainly a woman of the people.

"This is an outrage!" shouted one of the nobles. He was older, with obvious lines on his face that certainly didn't come from smiling too much. His skin was so dark you could barely make out the tattoos under his eyes, and his straight hair was streaked with silver and shaved on the sides and back much like Aloy had seen on many other Carja men in the military. She smirked. His face was warped into an angry expression that reminded her of an injured thunderjaw. She twisted her hand around her lance and looked over to Avad, who was massaging the sides of his nose. He knew this would happen, but he put himself through the gauntlet anyway.

"Jolan," he said, measuring out his words carefully. "First of all, I would like to point out the obvious: not a single soul in this room would even be here today were it not for Aloy."

"But she's Nora. You've already recruited Oseram into your ranks, so what's next? Inviting a Tenakth to be your personal butler?"

"Listen," Erend spoke up, obviously rankled by the comment about his tribe. "If you're not grateful for what this Nora woman has done, I'm sure we could find a way to resurrect another Deathbringer and see how you fare against it. She has done more to keep the Sundom safe than you ever have."

The whole room went quiet, and Avad looked at Erend from behind his brows, his fingers still pinching the bridge of his nose. He raised his head and took a deep breath. He had on his full regalia: crown, robes, armor, and authority. He stood, leaning his hands on the table in front of him and looking each noble directly in the eyes. "I wonder how many of you have read the accounts of Araman's journey." Nobody dared to admit they hadn't. "When Araman found the Leaves, where was he? Anybody?"

The nobles around the table sheepishly looked at each other, not wanting to face the full brunt of Avad's judgmental gaze. "Allow me to remind you all, since evidently you're too absorbed in your own shards to remember such a basic fact that all children of the Carja are taught. Araman came from the East. Nora lands. If you mean to tell me that those descended from the same lands as the great Araman himself are not worthy to be in the Sun's service, then you must question how the descendents of Araman have any rightful claim to the throne of the Sundom."

Aloy's eyebrow lifted, impressed. If the nobles continued to question her right to be there, they risked being accused of treason. She looked at the nobles, then spoke up. "You might as well let it happen. I know a few Nora who could easily take your places, too." Aloy knew her people's reputation as savages and sometimes liked to play on that. She twisted her lance a bit so it sparkled in the sunlight coming through the windows and bared her teeth in a wicked smile that only widened when she heard a few of the nobles swallow the lumps in their throats.

Jolan, the noble who had objected the loudest, shot up in his chair. "You won't get away with this, Your Luminance." His last word was laced with poison. "You cannot turn the whole Sundom upside down in a single generation." With that, he stormed out, quickly followed by a few others. Those who remained looked to Avad expectantly, but all the king did was sigh heavily.

"Anyone else who objects is encouraged to speak now." When he was met with silence, he dismissed the meeting. Everyone except Aloy, Erend, and Marad filed out.

"Sheesh," Erend said, breaking the tension in the room. "You'd think someone stuck a piece of ridge wood up his ass."

Aloy let out a burst of laughter, having been caught off guard by the comment. Her laughter put a smile on Avad's face and he felt his shoulders loosen. "Thank you, everyone," he said at length. "Marad, please draw up the papers, and we will get this moving. Aloy has been waiting far too patiently for her first mission as Protector." Marad nodded and quietly left the room.

"Well, I'd better get going and make sure Jolan isn't out there trying to rally the people against you, Your Radiance," Erend bowed loosely and sauntered out himself.

Avad sat down, leaning back as far as he could. "I guess you'll be leaving tomorrow, then?"

Aloy nodded her head once, "It should be a three day journey there, maybe less if Erend has been practicing his strider riding. I'm not sure how long I'll stay, and I will likely head back when I'm done.

"I'm concerned that you will be heading very close to Tenakth territory.

"I've taken that into account. Their land comes close, but I've mapped out a route that skirts around it. So long as we can avoid scouts, we shouldn't have any trouble."

Avad nodded thoughtfully. "What do you expect to find there?"

She let out a long breath, puffing her cheeks out a bit. "Anything, everything… Maybe nothing. I'm hoping that Elisabet found her home and maybe something of hers is there that can give me some clue as to how to fix GAIA. I've seen images of the entire world. It's huge. There has to be more out there, maybe more tribes, more ruins of the metal world. South seems as good a direction as any to start, but at least I know one thing is there."

"Aloy… you never cease to amaze me."

Aloy tilted her head, "What'd I do this time?"

He chuckled, as if the answer should be obvious, and looked at her as he leaned his arm on the arm of his chair, leaning toward her. "Not only can you boss the Vanguard around, but you have now added a nobleman's ego to your list of hunting trophies, and now your eyes glisten in wonder as you talk about making new discoveries. You've done more to unite the tribes than I could dream of, just by being you. I sometimes wonder why you aren't in this chair instead of me."

Aloy shrugged, "Because I'm supposed to be protecting that chair, now, not sitting in it. I can't sit for long anyway."

His gaze became thoughtful again, a look she usually only saw when they were alone. "It's a shame, really. You'd fit so well in it."

She got up with a laugh. "Are you kidding? Look at it! It's so big, we could probably both sit in it, see?" She turned and sat down. The chair was big, but not wide enough for the two of them to sit side-by-side, so she ended up sitting on Avad's leg. When she realized that, she blushed bright-red and Avad smiled.

"That's kind of my point," he replied, slipping his hand around to her side and gently pulling her closer to him. It was Aloy's turn to swallow the lump in her throat. She had never been this close to - well - anyone before. Unless she was carrying someone injured or in close combat, she had never felt someone touch her, especially not like this. His hand was firm, but gentle. Deep down, she knew what he was doing, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. Maybe he was just making sure she didn't slip off.

"Avad, we could hardly take turns. You'd look quite silly in my armor, and I'd never give up my focus. And besides, I'm not looking to add any more prestigious titles to my name, Your Luminance."

"Hm, taking turns? I sure wouldn't mind escaping Meridian, slipping the guards, and taking down a few sawtooths before breakfast, even if I did have to wear your armor. Though I think mine would be sufficient."

Aloy's head tilted as she looked at him with curiosity. "Do those in the royal family learn how to hunt?"

Avad shifted in his seat, averting his gaze slightly. "As my father's legitimate sons and rightful heirs, my brother and I were given the best education available. The history of Meridian, economics, astronomy, religion, war tactics and strategies, swordplay, and even archery. I was allowed to join some of the hunts from the Lodge, but the majority of the favors went to Kadaman. He was an excellent hunter, and won many marks at the hunting grounds. By all rights, he should be on the throne instead of me."

Aloy's hand found a place on Avad's shoulder. "Avad, if it means anything to you, the Nora teach that those who pass from this life live eternally in the memory of others. Kadaman is here." With that word, Aloy's hand moved over Avad's heart. "Those we love are never lost."

Avad's eyes closed as his free hand wrapped around the hand at his heart. After a few moments, he nodded. "You're right, Aloy. Thank you."

The wisdom she shared brought her thoughts to Rost, the only other person she really, truly grieved. Then her thoughts went back to Elisabet. Aloy hardly knew her, but was deeply saddened when the holographic projector showed the scientist's final words. Aloy felt a squeeze on her hand and she looked at Avad, a reassuring smile on his face. "You are wise as well as strong and compassionate. I am fortunate to be in your company."

Aloy stood up suddenly, the intensity of the moment and her memories catching up with her. "I, uh… have some things I need to prepare before I leave," she said, shakily. "Please have Marad find me when everything is ready." She couldn't help but feel like she was being split in two. She'd already been in the city for too long and was beyond restless, but found it difficult to break away to be alone with her thoughts. She had held it together until now, but she could feel herself crumbling. She spared a moment to look at Avad carefully, noting a mixture of confusion and sadness in his eyes that he never expressed aloud.

Not knowing what to say, she turned on her heel and walked out probably more quickly than she had intended. By now, she didn't need as much support from the lance, so she kept walking, forcing all thought out of her mind aside from taking each next step. She didn't stop until she realized she was again outside the city gates. She continued beyond the bridge, through Cut-Cliffs, and down the path until she finally stopped at the river. She squatted down and planted her lance in the ground next to her before splashing some of the cool water onto her face. She filled her lungs with the clean air and sat down on the bank. Erend was right. The wilds are a part of who she was. So why is she so drawn to Meridian? Or is it just the people in Meridian? It was the same with Mother's Heart. She had no real desire to immerse herself in the rituals and beliefs of the Nora, but she sorely missed some of the people there. She missed Rost.

Aloy hoisted her knees up and rested her arms on them, watching the little rivulets of water dance around the rocks in front of her. So this is where she was. Sent out like an arrow, but always pulled back. Always fighting to help others, but never accepting help for herself. She huffed, snatching a bit of grass from beside her and picking it apart. In her musings, she activated her focus and brought up an image of Rost's grave. She almost reached out to touch it. Instead, her hands drooped across her legs and she began to sob for the first time since the Battle of the Spire.

After a few minutes, she wiped her face with the back of her hands and forced herself to stand. She took in a deep, cathartic breath and let it out slowly. When she turned, she saw Marad waiting at a respectful distance. "We're ready when you are, Aloy. Once you make your mark on the declaration, you and Erend's team can leave at sunrise."

Aloy made a mental note to thank him for letting her cry. She knew he probably saw more than he let on. She nodded with as much confidence as she could find in her current state, and the curt gesture seemed to be all he needed, since Marad nodded in return and turned to make his way to the palace.


	5. Chapter 5: Launching

**Chapter 5: Launching**

The night had passed, and, as she expected, Aloy got very little sleep. The anticipation of finding Elisabet, of learning more about GAIA, of being out in the wilds again, kept her up late and woke her before sunrise. She had spent the night in the barracks, too, since the thought of being in the palace any longer than necessary set her nerves on edge. As the sky started to lighten ever so slightly, Aloy sat on her cot, methodically twisting wire around metal shards and pieces of ridge-wood, making ammo she hoped she wouldn't need to use aside from hunting for food.

"Any machines we come across, I should be able to override," she mumbled to herself, glancing over at the lance with the Master Override, which she now felt was part of her. "Fire arrows, hard point, tear blast… " she mentally added up what she had and was satisfied that she had enough. "I can make more on the road if I have to." With a quick inhale, she leaned forward, stood, and nocked her bow, testing the tension. "That'll have to do" she whispered after hearing a rooster crow in the distance.

After the sun had risen past the horizon, waking up the city and glistening on the waterways, Aloy pulled up one last Strider to the southern gate of the maiselands. She'd needed very little time to find and override four of them, since they always grazed near the bridge. After a few moments, she saw Erend and two of his vanguard make their way over: Smot and Lider.

Aloy waved them down, then saw Avad following behind. She didn't expect a personal send-off, but supposed it made sense, it being her first official mission. A pang of guilt rung inside her head at the thought that it was technically a personal mission, even though she knew it would eventually lead back to Meridian. All roads seemed to lead there eventually.

"It's about time you lunkheads got up. I was starting to wonder if I should just go by myself!" Aloy smirked, and one of the striders snorted with perfect comedic timing. The three Vanguard looked disconcertedly at the tamed striders. Lider spoke first, "You're sure these won't suddenly turn and attack us?"

As Erend chided the other two, Avad and a palace guard walked up to Aloy. The king took a deep breath and held his hands behind his back. "Protector, I wish you well on your journey, and a quick return." Aloy's nose wrinkled at the royal facade Avad had put on. He seemed to notice her distaste for it, so he nodded at his guard, who walked a respectful distance away. Instantly, his demeanor relaxed, and he smiled at her. "Try not to get into too much trouble, especially with Erend."

Aloy chuckled, "Yeah, I might end up being on babysitting duty if he runs out of ale."

"I'm sure," he replied, echoing her laugh. When Erend walked up looking ready to go, Avad turned to him, his tone turning serious. "Take care of her, Erend."

The Oseram nodded, "Pretty sure she'll be taking care of us, Avad, but we'll do our best." The two men locked arms before Avad turned to look at the group as a whole.

"Best get going, then. The sun waits for no one."

If she'd had any reservations about taking three Vanguard officers with her on her journey, they were quickly dispelled. The travel had seemed much faster with the company, and Smot and Lider proved to be just as jovial as Erend, though the Captain definitely seemed more mature over the last year. He must have been holding up his promise to his sister. Aloy checked her Focus and slowed her strider when she saw that they were only a few hundred feet away from her waypoint.

"Everything alright, Aloy?" Erend questioned.

Aloy stared ahead. They were on a path, if it could even be called that, in the middle of a vast plain blanketed with tall grass and wildflowers. There were mountains in the distance to the west, painted blue for how far they were, which told Aloy that they must be quite large.

She took a deep, slow breath when she saw what looked like the ruins of an ancient structure.

"I think so. We're very close, now, Erend." Aloy turned to him with pleading eyes. "I need to do this alone."

Erend hesitated, but he looked over and saw the structure she was looking at and nodded toward her. "Good luck. We'll set up camp here."

With too much circulating through her mind, Aloy's gaze drifted away from Erend and back toward her objective. She urged her strider forward and passed an ancient vehicle, something she had seen many times in the ruins of the Old Ones. She stopped at a fence with an open gate and looked up to a swinging sign. Not all of the letters were there, but enough that Aloy could make out what it was meant to say. "Sobeck Ranch," she read aloud, anticipation, anxiety, and hope all swirling within her. She dismounted and walked under the sign, absently bringing her hand up to her mouth and chewing on a fingernail. At once she noticed a figure, slumped on a bench, surrounded by a triangle of flowers, just like the metal flowers Aloy had seen in the wilds.

"Elisabet?" Aloy whispered, almost wishing that if it were really Elisabet, she would turn around and welcome Aloy as a mother would welcome a long lost daughter. Of course this was impossible, but Aloy's heart still caught in her throat as she made her way around. The figure was wearing what Aloy had learned was an environmental suit, something the Old Ones used in the final days when the Faro swarm had ravaged the planet so badly that the surface was inhospitable. The suit had devices on it which were similar to the ones she had adapted to her armor. With her focus active, recording every last detail, Aloy gently placed her hand over a holographic label on the suit. Then, she got an answer. The name lit up: Dr. . Aloy jumped a bit when her focus beeped, scrolling information downloaded from the suit:

[Thu Sep 09 08:42:29.902022 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Firing resuscitation paddle - Paddle battery at 20%.

[Thu Sep 09 08:43:14.182682 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Pulse at 185BPM

[Thu Sep 09 08:50:48.648648 2066] [ :info] [client 6e89ac]

Manual System Reboot initiated

[Thu Sep 09 08:51:24.682/81 2066] [ :info] [client 6e89ac]

Manual System Reboot complete

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:15.612052 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac]

Commencing systems check

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:16.658933 2066] [lifesupport:warn] [client 6e89ac.d8d3f]

System Oxygen levels at 4.5%

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:16.933543 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac.0ca54]

External temperature levels at 84 degrees, no protection required.

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:17.126645 2066] [lifesupport:alert] [client 6e89ac.44cee]

Toxic Gas identified - Hydrogen Sulfide levels exceeds 1,000ppm. Extreme caution required.

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:17.249828 2066] [lifesupport:crit] [client 6e89ac.44cee]

Air Circulator saturation level 99.5%

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:17.821672 2066] [lifesupport:crit] [client 6e89ac.d8d3f]

Client SpO2 below 80 percent

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:20.182878 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Pulse at info:crit pulse unidentifiable - possible arrythmia

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:21.675258 2066] [lifesupport:emerg] [client 6e89ac.d8d3f]

Bronchospasm detected. Supplemental oxygen levels at NULL%

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:24.424888 2066] [lifesupport:emerg] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Cardiac arrest detected. Attempting resuscitation.

[Thu Sep 09 08:55:26.245698 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Firing resuscitation paddle - Paddle battery at 15%.

[Thu Sep 09 08:57:26.245701 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Firing resuscitation paddle - Paddle battery at 10%

[Thu Sep 09 08:59:26.245714 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Firing resuscitation paddle - Paddle battery at 5%

[Thu Sep 09 09:01:26.245736 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Firing resuscitation paddle - Paddle battery at 0%

[Thu Sep 09 09:01:26.388589 2066] [lifesupport:crit] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Paddle electricity depleted.

[Thu Sep 09 09:02:34.312822 2066] [lifesupport:info] [client 6e89ac.23adf]

Pulse at info:crit pulse NULL

[Thu Sep 09 09:05:21.489526 2066] [ :info] [client 6e89ac]

**Client Elizabet Sobeck deceased - Thu Sep 09 09:05:21.489526 2066**

[Thu Sep 09 09:10:21.489530 2066] [ :debug] [client 6e89ac]

Entering low-power system log preservation mode

Aloy dropped to her knees, understanding a few of the words hidden in the message. Here lay the woman she had dedicated her life to finding. Aloy knew it was impossible for her to still be alive, but the reality of it crushed her. She reached out to hold her hand at the side of the helmet, where Elisabet's face would have been. Aloy remembered the last data file her focus restored: Elisabet was talking to Gaia about her mother, then what she would have wanted in a daughter. A smile played at her lips. Aloy was essentially the same person, but she would happily fill in as Elisabet's daughter. She saw something glisten. In Elisabet's hand was a small globe with a golden ring around the middle. Aloy stepped back and lifted it into her own hands. This is what Elisabet died to save. She clutched the small trinket to her chest and lifted her face to the sun, absorbing the warmth and thanking… GAIA? The sun? All-mother? Who knows? She was grateful, nonetheless.

An hour or two must have passed, but the sun was already setting. She considered giving Elisabet a proper burial, but the remains were so brittle. She would have to come back another time when she was better equipped. She made her way back to the campsite and quietly sat in front of the fire, leaning her back on a log and fidgeting with the globe in her hands. The severe look on her face must have been enough warning for the vanguard to let her be for a while, for which she was thankful. She took a closer look at the globe. What were these things around the middle? She took a corner of her clothes and rubbed the metal and ceramic to clean it as much as she could, and noticed that part of the ring formed a hinge, but it was difficult to get open, likely from the sands of time.

Aloy tried to pry her thumbnail into the crease separating the two halves, but had no luck. She huffed, then looked over at Erend, who must have been waiting for her to acknowledge anyone else, because he looked up as well.

"Erend, can you help me get this open without breaking it?" She held the globe out enough for him to see it, and he made his way over.

"I can try, I guess. Let's see…" he mused.

Aloy shot her hands out and squeaked as he lifted out his axe. "No!" She scooped the globe away and clutched it.

Erend's jaw slackened with confusion, and he still held his axe. "Wha…? I wasn't gonna break it, just pry it open."

Aloy shook her head vigorously. "Nevermind." This was too precious to her, now. She couldn't risk Erend's clunky hands slipping trying to brute force his way into it. She slipped it into her satchel and decided it would be best to keep it safe for now.

Erend carefully sat down next to her and threw some grass he was fiddling with into the fire. "Listen, uh… it may not be my place, but… I don't know, you seem like you've got a lot on your mind. If you need to talk," he shrugged his shoulders, "I've got pretty big ears."

Aloy smiled at his genuine effort. "Thanks, Erend. That means a lot to me. I just… not many people would understand the thoughts I'm juggling around."

"Eh, try me. Besides, sometimes it helps to just get 'em out into the open," he replied. The way Erend set people at ease was uncanny to Aloy. He was like everyone's best friend, able to diffuse a riot or lift someone's spirits.

Aloy shifted her weight on the ground, tucking her feet under her legs. "Alright, here goes nothing…" She searched for a way to adequately explain the nuances of the Old World and Zero Dawn to someone who hadn't seen the events unfolding, even if by hologram. "There's a… leader… from a while back. She did everything she could to save her people. She gathered the greatest minds she could, and they all worked together on a massive project with various components that would all work together for a larger, common goal." She paused, letting Erend straighten this out in his mind. "Well, one of those people, the one who provided any monetary assistance needed to complete the project, his mind was unstable. Actually, much like Sun King Jiran," she realized aloud. "He did something to one of the components that, though the end goal was still accomplished, greatly diminished its impact. Once he did that, he killed the other people working together." The scene Aloy found at the GAIA Prime facility still haunted her. "Why do you think he would do that?"

Erend scratched at the whiskers lining his jaw and hummed. "Wow. Well, would those people have been able to reverse what he did?"

It was Aloy's time to hum and haw. She stood and started pacing around the firepit, lost in thought as she considered this line of inquiry. "Ted said he deleted every copy of Apollo," she started, mostly forgetting that Erend was there. "If he did that, why would he have killed the Alphas? It must have taken decades to acquire all of that information and archive it. They couldn't possibly have had the time to do it again. But… wait…" Aloy's memory kicked into high gear. When she found Ted Faro's office, she found a storage bank that had deleted files...

_All data has been erased from this device. Do you wish to employ Alpha privileges to recover purged data…_

"That's it!" Aloy laughed, her face glowing with glee. "The Alpha team could have recovered the data all too easily. It may have taken years to recover everything, but that's nothing compared to the lifetime it would have taken to get everything again from scratch." She walked over to Erend and placed her hands on his shoulders, having to lean down to look into his confused eyes. "Erend. If I find Apollo, I can restore the knowledge of the Old Ones."

If the journey to Sobeck Ranch felt short, the journey back was a blink of an eye. Aloy's mind was flooded with the possibilities before her: finding Apollo would be monumental and earth-shattering at the same time. Sylens only knew what HADES had taught him. Aloy would finally learn more about who the Old Ones were, what they did, how they managed to create such marvels of engineering. She couldn't wait to sit down and comb through the information she had to get any clue as to where Apollo might be. She didn't even need to find the AI. She would need to find where the files were stored. Yes, that's it. Then she might be able to learn how to properly fix GAIA. Then… then… the endless possibilities made Aloy's head spin.

Once her strider was close enough to Meridian, Aloy jumped off and ran toward the gate, paying no mind to the guards as they slammed their pikes on the ground to indicate she was free to enter. Avad was already on his way to meet them, likely having been notified by Marad with his spy network. Before he could finish descending the stairs in front of the palace, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Avad blinked, letting out a soft _oof!_ sound as he just barely caught her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hoped that she wouldn't fall as he tried to catch his balance. "Well, then. Uh… Aloy? I guess this means your mission went well?"

Aloy stopped, suddenly realizing that she just bear hugged the Sun King. "Oh." She grimaced and let go, sliding down carefully to her feet and taking a few steps back before folding her hands behind her back. She heard the vanguard's quick footsteps behind her. They must have tried to run after her, but couldn't keep up with their heavy armor. She glanced at them and smirked when she saw that they were out of breath, then her smile faded as she noticed Marad's own smirk. He had seen the whole exchange, and found it amusing. Of course he did.

Clearing her throat, Aloy straightened herself to her full height. "Sun King Avad, I have successfully accomplished my first mission, and I wish to inform you of some vital, yet sensitive information." Her eyes shifted over to Marad and back, hoping Avad would get the hint.

"Uh, yes," Avad also straightened himself, mimicking her. "Marad, see that the Vanguard are properly debriefed. I will meet with Aloy privately." Aloy's grin came back, but she tried to suppress it as Avad led her into the council chambers. _Let's at least attempt to act like an adult, Aloy_, she chided herself.


	6. Chapter 6: Searching

**Chapter 6: Searching**

Aloy had no intentions of sitting down in the council chambers. As soon as they walked in, she grabbed the king's hand and went out the door on the opposite end of the room and pulled him through the hallways.

"Aloy," Avad called to her, confused, "Where are you taking me?"

"We're ditching the guards. What's the best way out? Aqueducts?" Aloy didn't slow. She was too excited.

"Uh… Yes, I mean… I guess, so?" Avad was still flabbergasted, but liked the sound of ditching the palace, so he ended up eventually taking the lead. "Hold on. This way." He tugged her in a different direction. Aloy followed, but wondered aloud, "Why are we going this way?" They were going down the hallway that led to the bedchambers.

"Trust me."

"Trust you?"

Before Aloy could continue her thought, Avad stopped at a tapestry hanging on the wall. She looked at it. It was beautiful: a depiction of the sun setting behind the Spire with a glinthawk perched on the top. But while it was an attractive piece of art, she failed to see its importance aside from Carja history. She cocked one eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her. "Am I supposed to know what this means?"

Avad chuckled, then looked up and down the hall to ensure nobody was watching, then took the edge of the tapestry and pulled it back. "You have no appreciation for art, it seems." Aloy straightened when a door was revealed behind the tapestry. It was very plain and could almost blend in with the wall itself. "My ancestors did appreciate the art of escape, though," he continued, pushing the door open to reveal a dark stairway. "After you?"

Aloy stood tall, pretending not to be impressed, and walked through the doorway and down the spiral stairs. Of course the palace would have been built with escape routes. Nobody in charge was ever fully safe. There would always be those who disagreed with the way someone ruled, whether they were right or not. The two of them descended the stairs in companionable silence until they reached the exit. Aloy blinked as she stepped out into the full sun, then saw that they had emerged at the bottom of the mesa, at one of the massive pillars that spanned the height of the natural formation. The river that went into the market town flowed freely in front of them, but there wasn't a single soul in sight.

"Well, that was surprising," Aloy said happily.

"I could say the same," Avad replied, finding a boulder and sitting down. "Care to tell me what's going on?" He seemed concerned, but mostly amused.

Aloy wasn't used to seeing Avad outside of the palace like this, but he was still wearing his crown and robes, so he looked like a fish out of water. She impulsively reached out and lifted the crown off of his head and set it down on his lap. Satisfied, she nodded, "That's better." She began pacing in front of him, her arms returning to a twist in front of her. "What if I told you that I could bring back all the knowledge of the Old Ones. All the wisdom that they meant to pass on to us." She stopped her pacing to look at him and gauge his reaction.

His reaction was one of deep thought. "If that were true, I would caution you. With that much knowledge, there would be those who would seek to use it for their own selfish gain. It would be difficult to distribute the knowledge fairly, and it may even be difficult for some to comprehend. The Old Ones lived in a very different world, I suspect."

Aloy let out a quick breath of air, a sardonic laugh hidden behind it. "Yeah. Different world, but the same human nature." She thought of some of the datapoints she'd read. Some were filled with deception, pitting two sides against each other; others were filled with despair; still others filled with memoirs, respecting those they loved during their final days. She sighed and sat next to Avad on the boulder, resting her elbows on her knees. "If I can retrieve this knowledge, I could have a better understanding of how to fix GAIA. Hephaestus would be back under her control, and machines would be tame once more."

Avad nodded, seeming impressed. "Bad news for the hunter's lodge, I guess." She shot a look at him and he simply smiled jokingly. "It sounds like you already know what your next mission is. Do you know where to find this lost knowledge?"

She sighed and stretched her legs out in front of her, shaking her head. "I need time to figure that out. There's so much information I already have. I should probably start at the cradle facility." She looked up to Avad, knowing it would be a long trek. "Back at All-Mother Mountain."

Avad rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. "We may have a mutual interest, then."

"Oh?"

"Your tribe was of particular aid when it came time to fight. I've been wishing to extend my personal thanks and officially restore trade routes. Perhaps if I bring their Seeker with me, it would be less likely that I'd get shot on sight."

Aloy let out a quick laugh, but she suddenly felt eager to return home. It had been a long time since she'd visited Rost's grave, and having now found Elisabet's final resting place, it seemed an appropriate time. By the time they arrived at Mother's Heart, It would have been about a year since she left.

"You know, diplomacy was never my best trait," Aloy deflected. "And at least one of the Matriarchs pretty much thinks I'm a disease."

"Leave the diplomacy to me, Aloy. I'll leave the hunting to you."

At that, Aloy's stomach let out a loud grumble. She grimaced and looked up at Avad sheepishly.

"When was the last time you ate, woman?" Avad asked jokingly.

She ducked her head, but felt a smile peeking out of the corners of her mouth. "I don't remember. I was too excited to get back and tell you all of this. Erend probably forced me to eat something…"

Avad placed a hand on her shoulder. "Would you care to come back to the palace for dinner."

Aloy's smile faded. She could hunt on her own, but it would be hours before anything was ready. "I guess. But only if I get to take you hunting with me later. No guards."

"Why would I need guards? Are you planning to kill me?" Avad smiled, picking up his crown but not placing it on his head just yet.

Aloy stood and winked, "Not yet."

They ascended the stairs and snuck back into the hallway. Aloy went to her bedchambers to drop off her gear. She haphazardly tossed it onto the bed, intending to deal with it later. The bed looked so inviting, but her stomach growled again, followed by a slight whimper.

"Aloy, would you like to eat in here tonight?" Avad asked. "I have a few matters to tend to, but I could send some things here and join you when I am done."

Aloy turned around to look at him. Her shoulders slumped, and she shook her head, "How do you understand me so well?"

A small laugh escaped his lips and he cautiously reached out, tucking some rogue pieces of hair behind her ear. "Let's just say I have a vested interest in your happiness." Aloy's eyes closed and she subconsciously leaned her face into Avad's warm hand. "I will have Mindea bring you dinner." Aloy's eyes opened again, and she smiled with a nod before Avad took his leave.

Aloy decided to bathe while she was waiting for dinner, and came out of the bath house just in time to find her tray waiting for her in her room. The fireplace had been lit, as it was starting to get chilly at night, and she noticed how suddenly the sun seemed to have set. She grabbed a few almonds from the tray and opened the wardrobe, pulling out a simple tunic and leggings to put on. All dressed, she sat back on the couch, leaning into the pillows and sighing. She may have dozed off, but a knock on her door jolted her awake. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Come in," she said sleepily. As the door opened, she reached for another bit of food.

It was Avad who walked in, and Aloy smiled. "You look much more relaxed," he commented. "I hope I didn't interrupt your thoughts?"

"Nope, just my sleep," she laughed as he sat down, perching his elbow on the back of the couch as he turned to face her.

"I talked with some people. A messenger has been sent to the Nora to let them know of our plans to visit."

"It's been so long since… well, I guess I never really _lived_ in the city." Aloy frowned. "They almost all look up to me, but for most of my life they shunned me. Some still do."

"I understand, somewhat," Avad replied thoughtfully. "There are many who considered my actions sacreligious: killing the Sun King? How can you kill a god? But most people still act as if I am now a sun god, despite my assertions to the contrary."

Aloy glanced sidelong at Avad, "Oh, you mean you're _not_ a sun god? Have I been deceived this whole time?" She laughed, then failed at suppressing another yawn.

Avad laughed as well, "Get some sleep, Huntress. You're getting delirious. Tomorrow, we can go hunting and I'll prove how imperfect I really am."

….

_The room around Aloy shifted, and she was enveloped by darkness. It seemed she had been transported to another plane, yet she hadn't moved. Then, colored shapes appeared before her, forming into a circle, surrounding a growing image. A woman soon stood before her, enrobed in light. Her dark skin and long, flowing hair stood in contrast to her luminant clothing. Butterflies of light fluttered around her. Familiarity nagged at the edge of Aloy's mind._

"_Elisabet," the woman began. "Something is wrong. I cannot find them. They have escaped, but their skeletons remain buried under the mountains."_

"_Who?" Aloy heard herself shout, almost desperately. "Who are you talking about? Which mountains?!"_

"_My connections to them have been severed. This is impossible for anyone but me… and yet…" the image of the woman faded away and Aloy desperately reached out toward her to no avail._

….

"No, come back!" Aloy sat up in her bed. She looked around and was back in her palace bedroom, looking around, forlorn. She was right there. It must have been GAIA.

Aloy released a heavy sigh, "It was only a dream." She rubbed her face with her hands and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She couldn't shake the dream out of her mind, though, as most dreams had a tendency of doing. She thought and thought about what GAIA must have meant. "Skeletons? Was she talking about the Alphas? The subfunctions don't have skeletons, do they?"

Before her head started to throb, she pushed herself up and stomped over to the washing basin, splashing her face with the cold water. She rested her hands on the surface the basin was on and leaned onto it. The sun had already risen, but she couldn't hear the priests singing. That must mean she had slept far longer than she intended. Looking over towards the sitting area, her suspicions were confirmed. A fresh tray of food had been set out, but she wasn't hungry. Something about her dream made her feel unsettled in more ways than one.

Aloy walked over to the dressing area and found the mirror. She ran her fingers through her matted hair and ritualistically braided it back out of her face. She adjusted her focus, then went to the shelf to rummage through her satchel. She pulled out the globe she'd found from Elisabet and considered it for a while.

"Why'd you do it, Elisabet? You saw what mankind is capable of, yet you still fought to keep it alive." Her dream morphed into the scene of Ted Faro killing the Alpha team. How could he possibly have justified his actions? Aloy only hoped that she could one day reverse his actions and bring some small amount of justice to the world. She stashed the globe and put on her Nora leathers. She had only just arrived back in Meridian, but she wanted to leave again and get on with her journey. There were so many questions that needed answering. She thought for a moment, then her mind recoiled with a sudden realization.

"HADES isn't really gone. His skeleton remains on the Spire - but even that was a borrowed skeleton." Aloy growled in frustration, grabbed her lance, and stormed out of her room toward the Solarium where she hoped to find Avad. The urgency she felt could not be suppressed.

Surely enough, she found Avad in the Solarium, standing around a table with some nobles and some military officers. It seemed they were discussing logistics of reintegrating the Shadow Carja into the Sundom. Aloy noticed that even Queen Nasadi was there. The Nora wished she could spare some time to talk to Nasadi, but that wasn't in the cards now. She made her way up to the group, unapologetically interrupting.

"Ah, Aloy!" Avad smiled, straightening up to greet her. "I was just meeting wi-"

"I need to talk to you Avad. It's important."

Everyone glanced around at each other with looks of concern, some faces laced with irritation, but Aloy was used to that look from people. Avad nodded towards Nasadi, "I'll be back in a moment."

Aloy stalked around the edge of the Solarium toward the outer stairs behind the throne room There was a smaller balcony at a landing and she stood there, leaning on the balustrade. When she heard Avad's footsteps behind her she turned and gave him no chance to speak. "Avad, I can't just sit here in the palace. There is so much at stake, and if I am one second too late then GAIA and all of her subfunctions will collapse. Everyone depends on those subfunctions, Avad, and I still have so many questions that need to be answered."

Avad blinked a few times, processing what she just said. "Aloy, I…"

"No, Avad," she shook her head. "I understand you've already planned a diplomatic trip to the Sacred Lands. If you leave in a week, I can meet you at Daytower."

Avad sighed in resignation. "Is that a promise?"

She bit her lower lip. She _hoped_ a week would be long enough, but she couldn't be sure. "I'll find a way. If you're there for longer than three days, turn back."

After a moment's pause, he nodded, "I know you weren't asking for it, but you have my blessing. I wish you luck, Huntress."

Aloy's face lit up with a wide smile and her arms wrapped around Avad's torso, eliciting a low chuckle from him. "Thank you," she whispered, lingering for a moment. When she let go, she turned quickly and made haste back to her chambers to prepare her gear.

She left just moments before Erend ran up the stairs to the Solarium, out of breath. Between his gasps for air, he spoke but two words which struck fear in everyone's eyes. "Dervahl. Escaped."

….

Aloy stood at the base of the Spire, feeling her chest tighten at the memories this place held. Her jaw clenched and she tightened her grip on her lance as she took a steadying breath. Slowly, she knelt down by the husk which once housed HADES.

"Let's take a look at you, shall we," she said to the large sphere, reaching for her focus. The holographic display popped up and analyzed what was in front of her: _FAS-BOR7 Horus, Quantum Processing Module_. "What does that even mean?" She flipped through images on the display, mostly ones she'd gathered from the ruins of Faro Automated Systems, which her focus had automatically linked with the object. She shook her head and turned off the display, standing and stepping back.

"So, you weren't HADES, but HADES found you." She turned toward the south, where Sylens had sent her into the Eclipse base. HADES was found there. She walked toward the southern edge of the mesa as she spoke. "If HADES found a Metal Devil … a Horus… what if the others did the same? Suddenly, her mouth became dry and she swallowed a lump in her throat. There was a Metal Devil sitting right on top of All-Mother Mountain. The implications to which her mind wanted to lead terrified her, but before she could continue her thought processes, her focus lit up again: this time only small, expanding, purple concentric rings centered on one point in the south.

"What," Aloy asked out loud. "I've explored this whole area, how can there be a new signal I didn't-" Her eyes widened. She didn't want to think of what the signal might be, but she knew she had to find out, and fast. In case the signal was further than she'd gone before, she formulated a plan and looked for the nearest glinthawk. "Well, I've wanted to try this forever. Now seems as good a time as any."

….

"What do you _mean_ Dervahl _escaped,_" Avad spit out towards an apologetic Oseram Captain.

"I mean, his guards were killed and his cell door blown into pieces, but nobody heard a sound. Someone knew what they were doing. He's got to be planning something."

Avad's hands balled into fists. "Get Nasadi and Itamen somewhere safe. Marad, have your spies confirm this, and see if you can't find out where Dervahl is and what he's planning. We have to assume he will be upping his game this time. He's already tried blowing up half of Meridian."

The two men bowed slightly and got to work, and Avad turned to the nobles. "If you are not in the military, I advise you to ensure the safety of your families. Generals, we need to prepare for the worst. Aloy… Aloy may not be available to us. She has proven invaluable to us in the past, but I cannot guarantee her assistance at this time."

The military men looked at each other with confusion, and one spoke up, "Your Luminance, wasn't Aloy appointed as your Champion?"

"Protector," Avad corrected, poison in his tone. He hated the position of Champion because of what Helis had done. That is why avad changed the title to Protector. "And she has an urgent mission, one which may even prove to be more important than this. I may not understand how, but I trust her implicitly. Now, I will not stand idly by as Dervahl attacks Meridian again."

"But, Sir! He wants to kill you!"

Avad shook his head, "That's not all he wants. He's a madman. He'll take the city for himself, given the chance. We cannot let that happen. _I _will not let that happen."

….

"Gotchya!" Yelled Aloy with relief. She'd spent almost all of her ropes catching this glinthawk and fending off its friends, she was glad to finally have one under her command. As it folded its wings, Aloy searched through the carcasses of the other glinthawks and took what she needed. When she turned back to _her_ glinthawk, she breathed nervously. "It's alright," she said, probably just talking to herself. "I'm not going to hurt you… anymore." She walked up to it and made a few simple repairs. It didn't move, except to turn its head to reveal one last patch of wiring which needed repairs.

"Alright, my friend. Are you ready to make history?" Aloy looked up and down the machine, absently running her hand down the length of its neck. Usually, she didn't bother overriding glinthawks. She had no use for it. But now was the time. She found a foothold and hoisted herself up on the metal bird's back. It bucked slightly. "Woah!" Aloy's hand landed firmly on the base of its neck, and it immediately stilled. Aloy's breath became quick and heavy with anticipation. If she fell while the glinthawk was in flight… "Best not to think about that," she decided.

Aloy reached up and activated her focus. It honed in on the signal, and without prompting, the glinthawk took off, shuddering for a moment to adjust for the extra weight, but soon zoomed through the sky. At first, Aloy's fingers wrapped tightly around the edges of some plate armor at the base of the wings, but as the flight smoothed and she felt the air whipping past her face, Aloy smiled. "There we go. I could get used to this."


	7. Chapter 7: Unflinching

**Chapter 7: Unflinching**

Erend ran his fingers through his hair and scratched at the back of his neck. "Dervahl couldn't have gone back to the Claim. Practically everyone there wants him dead." He slumped down into a chair and slammed his fist on the war table. He knew he should have killed the traitor when he had the chance, but Avad had said not to. Erend may wear his emotions on his sleeves, but he had his loyalties. "You don't think the Shadow Carja..."

Avad shot Erend a sharp look. The thought hadn't occurred to him, but it didn't add up. Everything Dervahl had done was in retaliation for the Red Raids. The Shadow Carja were loyal to the same ideal. "I doubt it, but we can't rule it out. Why would the Shadow Carja want him, or why would he want to work with them?"

Erend shrugged his shoulders and leaned back. "Who knows. They're all madmen. Maybe they all wanted to sit around a campfire and sing songs about being insane."

"As amusing as that sounds, the possibility of an alliance there is frightening. There could still be fringe members of the Eclipse, and they don't exactly have warm feelings about Meridian either."

"A little too warm, if those fire spitters they have are any indication."

Avad stood from his chair and paced with his hands folded behind his back. "We should send troops to Unflinching Watch. There, they can send scouts West and North to search for hints of malicious activity. If we can avoid another attack on Meridian…" Avad paused, stopping his pacing and looking down on the map on the table. "We're barely putting ourselves back together after HADES. Erend, I need your best men on the job. Fighters and scouts."

"You've got it," Erend stood, saluting his king.

"Leave for Unflinching Watch as soon as you can."

…

Aloy shifted her weight on her glinthawk. "I'm gonna need to make a cushion if I expect to do this again," she told herself. When the machine made its landing, Aloy grunted and hissed. She slowly made her way off the bird. Her muscles were tense, and there were sore spots on her thighs where the metal plating had rubbed. She looked around to get her bearings, knowing full well that she was further south than she'd ever been. The signal was still a way off, and Aloy began to worry what was making it if it were so strong as to be detected all the way from Meridian.

_BOOM… BOOM… BOOM…_

"I know that sound," Aloy said with a smile. She kept her focus on and turned toward the sound. Sure enough, another signal - much weaker - showed up. "Perfect. Tallneck information will save me some time exploring." She had landed in a small canyon, so she felt that the glinthawk would be safe to stay. She climbed up the rock wall beside her, feeling the exertion through every muscle as she jumped from handhold to handhold. Once she reached the top and looked out, her eyes widened and her jaw slackened.

Before her lay a gigantic ruin of the ancient world, sprawled out across a vast desert. "I've never seen so many metal structures in one place!" She easily spotted the tallneck, as it circled around a carved out path in the desert sands. Inside its circular path lay several buildings, all in what seemed like a line. The most intact must have been the height of a small mountain, and looked like one, too. It was almost perfectly square at the base and looked like in its full glory it would have come up to a point at its top, making triangles on either side. As a ruin, it was mostly a steel skeleton, but still boasted of the wonders of what the Old Ones were able to accomplish.

In front of the large building was a statue of some sort. It was difficult to make out the shape from Aloy's distance, but she made a point to find out later. There were so many structures that looked like they were large, thick walls, but they didn't seem to be able to block anything. "What was this area used for? It couldn't have been a strategic point to fight off the machines. Everything is so… exposed."

She saw, at least, that one of those steel walls would be perfect for jumping onto the tallneck, so she made her way to the closest one. There were two large, strangely smooth, regularly-shaped pits in the ground as she got closer, and she desperately wanted to find out what this area used to look like, but she had to focus on the task at hand. There didn't seem to be many other machines around except for watchers, which she could take down easily enough that they were merely a nuisance. She reached a towering structure with plenty of handholds that brought her higher than she was able to make it with other tallnecks, and she jumped directly onto the disc on top.

From this vantage point, she was even more enamored with the strange view below her: perfectly straight lines, criss-crossing each other, forming squares with ancient ruins inside each of them. She shook her head at it all and turned to the override port on the tallneck. "Let's see what else there is around here," she said as she plunged the Master Override into the port and fiddled with the holograms that popped up. Within mere moments, she had accessed the tallneck information and rappelled down to the ground with a new section of the world on her focus' map, ready to explore.

She slowly walked through the metal jungle and saw the telltale signs of a bandit camp in the distance. She ducked behind a wall and peered around the corner before the skin on the back of her neck began to prickle. "I should have guessed these ruins would make for a perfect breeding ground for bandits. Where's Nil when you need him?"

"I'm flattered you remember me, Huntress."

Aloy blinked. She'd been so enamored with the scenery that she'd neglected to check her surroundings thoroughly. Or maybe she was getting rusty in the comfort of the palace. She really shouldn't be surprised to see Nil here, so she unclenched her shoulders and slowly turned toward the voice. "Nil. You went south, I see."

"Well, after your big to-do in Meridian, all the bandit clans who caught wind of our glorious craftsmanship wouldn't take the risk of meeting us." The man in front of her smirked and shrugged his shoulders. The vest he wore didn't conceal his muscular chest, glistening with sweat from the midday sun. "It seemed only fair that I paid them a visit, don't you think? It's quite fortuitous that my partner should join me. It's almost as if you missed me."

Aloy pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "My aim is improving. Don't test me."

"Mmm, tempting," Nil said, more than a hint of bloodlust behind his grey eyes. "Perhaps we can test that claim on these poor excuses over there?"

Aloy closed her eyes tightly and sighed, half hoping that she was just imagining that she was doing this again. When she opened her eyes, Nil still stood in his place, the red feathers of his helmet sitting lifeless with the lack of breeze. "Listen, Nil. It's the same deal as always. We clear the bandits, save any hostages, and that's it. I'm not looking for a good time."

"You may not be, but ever since that first time in Nora lands, I've been having more fun with each camp we take out." Nil bared his teeth, perhaps to attempt a smile. He slowly inched toward Aloy, and she took a step back. The proximity was almost more suffocating than the heat. "But," he continued unfazed, "To each their own, I suppose. Are you ready, girl?"

Without a single shift of her eyes, Aloy pulled out her tripcaster. "You sneak around the back and take care of the alarm. I'll get the scouts and anyone else near the entrance on this side." She activated her focus and turned back toward the camp. "There are a few hostages. I'll take care of them."

And just like that, Nil was off, sneaking around corners and crouching behind walls to do as she had ordered. She felt like she could breathe again now that there was some distance between them. She snuck her way close to the camp and set some blast wire traps across the entrance. From behind a half-dilapidated wall, she took aim at a sniper she saw perched on an upper floor of one of the ruins. There were four of them total within her reach, and they were all taken out swiftly with her arrows. She lured a few more bandits past the entrance and blast wires, and the explosions were enough to distract the rest of the camp away from the alarm for Nil to disable it.

It wasn't long before Aloy and Nil were in the middle of the camp, back-to-back, fighting off the rest of the bandits. Aloy didn't get a chance to release the prisoners -presumably Utaru- before she was spotted, so they would have to wait safely where they were. Aloy charged her lance and swung it at the last bandit's neck, knocking him down and out. She bent over, holding her knees as she caught her breath. Nil stalked over with a satisfied smile on his face. "Ah, just like old times."

Aloy rolled her eyes and straightened. She wanted to tell him off for being so creepy, but it wouldn't have been anything she hadn't told him already. "I need to continue on my way, Nil. We'll take whatever resources we need, but then we should part ways.

Nil inched closer again. "We work so well together, girl. It's a shame you don't stay in one place for long. But, it's such a refreshing sight, the two of us, the light in the bandits' eyes dimming like the most glorious sunset." He got close enough that he was able to touch her arm, which she allowed, but through squinted eyes. "You really don't get anything out of that?"

"No, Nil," she replied firmly, shaking her arm out of his grasp. Why was he trying to convince her after all this time? She thought she made it abundantly clear she didn't enjoy killing. She merely understood that sometimes it was necessary. "I know it's been a while since our last camp, but I haven't changed. I don't. Like. Killing."

"But I've seen you fight. It's like a dance, what you do. Weaving in and out, dodging blows, practically catching arrows out of the air." As he spoke, Nil's eyes darkened and he grabbed her shoulder. Aloy's own eyes hardened, and Nil's movement froze as his own blade was pressed against his neck. "I won't kill," Aloy said in a low voice laced with poison. "Unless it's necessary. I won't tell you again: don't test me."

Nil hummed, glancing down at his stolen blade. He didn't look afraid. He looked amused, and that made her angry. _I'm trying to threaten you, damn it!_

"It's a shame. Such a waste of raw talent," Nil said as he released her shoulder and moved back, a small drip of blood falling onto his collarbone. His eyes shifted from lust to respect, and he bowed to Aloy. "Perhaps I'm getting rusty, but you are the first person who has ever disarmed me so easily. I can see what you really are, and I hope one day you see it, too. Your skills are unmatched. The Southern Reaches will tremble beneath your spear."

He held his hand out expectantly, and Aloy cautiously returned his blade to him. She felt weird that he was complimenting her. She was confident that, though Nil had a strange sort of death wish, he knew she wouldn't get any enjoyment out of fulfilling it. That was reason enough for him to take his leave. Once she was sure he was out of sight, she released her breath and made her way to the Utaru captives, hoping she didn't need to see the Carja soldier again while she was here.

…

Dervahl squinted his eyes after the hood had been ripped off of his head. He was disoriented. He knew he was taken far away based on the amount of travel, but the stone walls around him seemed to suggest he was still in the custody of the Carja. "What the hell…?" He let out a low growl and tried to break out of his shackles. He didn't see anyone, and couldn't turn around. "Where am I?! What do you want from me?!"

"Shhhh," said a voice from behind him. The man slowly walked around so that Dervahl could see him. The closed room was dark, with only a sliver of light coming in through a high window. "Don't worry, now. You're safe with us… I believe we can be of mutual aid to each other, no?" The man was wearing Shadow Carja armor, but it seemed old and tattered.

Dervahl's brows knit together. He was captured by another of these damned high-lifes, and now he was being coddled?! "How could a damned Carja help me," he spat. "Especially a washed out one like you?"

The man squatted in front of Dervahl with a wicked grin. "I think we have a common enemy, my Oseram friend. One with some very distinct skills, and even more distinct hair."

...

"Nothing so far, sir," a scout said, bowing his head to Avad. "The Vanguard are camped at Unflinching Watch, and scouts have been sent in each direction."

"Thank you," Avad returned, resting one arm on his chest to hold his other arm which held his chin. The scout left the room when Marad nodded to him, and Avad shook his head. "I've got a bad feeling about this. Dervahl's inventions were debilitating at best and devastating at worst. He's had enough time to stew in Meridian's holding cells and probably knew all too well what fate awaited him when he returned to the Claim."

"It is possible, Your Luminance, that he was not implicit in his release," Marad suggested.

Avad's brow raised, "You mean the Oseram broke him out to take him?"

"The Oseram, maybe… or perhaps someone else. We were already in negotiations with most of the Oseram clans, but he does have a new person to add to his list of enemies."

The king's head tilted with curiosity. "Who else would he… Oh. Blazing Sun on high. Aloy." He started pacing around the war room. He knew he had no right to, but he felt an overwhelming surge of protection towards his flame-haired friend. "He isn't the only one to have cause to hate her, I'm sure. Who else would have known of her involvement in his capture?"

Marad hummed for a moment. "There may have been some Oseram still loyal to Dervahl's cause. The Eclipse seemed very well informed, too, Your Radiance. I highly doubt there are any bandits left from the clans who are brave enough to try something like this."

"Yes, the Eclipse. There must have been some remaining after the battle. But there couldn't have been that many. Perhaps there is hope of success if this is truly the case."

"I can send people to Sunfall to determine how many are still loyal to the Eclipse, sire."

Avad stood still for a moment and took a deep breath. "I think that will be wise. Aloy went South, and she will be expecting me to be at Daytower. I must prepare the throne for my absence."

"If you don't mind me saying, Avad," Marad using Avad's casual name usually meant something serious was about to follow. "Do you think it wise to abandon the throne in such a time?"

"I have every confidence in my men, Marad. Aloy expects me at Daytower. If Dervahl was only just now acquired, it would certainly take time to raise an army against Meridian. My journey shouldn't take long."

Marad's brow lifted, and he bowed his head in respect. "You make a valid point. I will ensure that the details are taken care of, Sire."

…

The Utaru captives were quite grateful to Aloy for her aid, and one recognized her from stories passed on by pilgrims visiting shrines in the Sundom. They gifted her with some facepaint they insisted she wear to ward off the midday sun. She made an effort to see that they were well supplied for their journey home and asked them about any strange events that may have happened recently. They knew of nothing, but were able to tell her where some of the larger ancient ruins were.

Aloy found a herd of striders nearby, though in this part of the desert it was difficult to find any cover. She found a small structure of metal and hid herself, luring the closest strider, overriding it, and immediately mounting it and going as fast as she could toward the original signal which brought her here. The other striders took notice, but she very quickly made herself scarce and they didn't pursue her.

The sun beating down on her all day was blistering, and she was thankful for the Utaru's gift, but she was finally honing in on the signal. The sun was nearing the Horizon and she stopped to both admire the colors in the sky and get her bearings. The signal was coming from an area which had more plant life, but was still very flat compared to the mountains she was used to. She stopped the strider, got off, and activated her focus. "Wait… two signals, now?" Her eyes squinted at the data reading on her focus, and her face fell. "Oh, no," she whispered, and a hologram popped up in front of her. She balled her fists as she saw the last person she wanted to see besides Nil.


	8. Chapter 8: Calculating

**Chapter 8: Calculating**

The tall, dark mystery that was Sylens stood before her, as enigmatic as ever, with the most neutral look on his holographic face.

"I guess I should have expected you," he said. "It seems like whenever ancient technology is involved, you show up eventually."

"I could say the same about you, Sylens," she said mirthlessly. "What are you doing here?"

"The same as you, I'd wager. Looking for answers. After you destroyed HADES, I was left to search for alternative sources of knowledge."

Aloy pursed her lips. She wondered if he knew what happened after the battle, how some reported that HADES drifted away like a spirit. She held that information close, just in case he didn't. "Well, if we're after the same thing, I guess you won't mind if I join you?"

"Something tells me you'll find me either way."

"Something tells me you're right," Aloy grumbled, beginning to make her way quickly toward the signal. There were a few ancient war machines half buried under the sand, but they didn't look like Faro machines. She had seen similar machines at the entrance to Operation: Enduring Victory. The people in the recordings called them tanks, she remembered. So, what were they guarding here? More underground lodges for soldiers?

Aloy finally came up to a large area on the ground that was made of metal. It was round and had a hole in the middle that looked like a door had been pried off. "No doubt Sylens' doing," Aloy mumbled. There was a mostly intact ladder that led into the cavern below, so she made her way down. It was dark, but there was a faint light at the bottom of the ladder. Sylens was waiting with a lit torch. She stopped halfway down the ladder and took a deep breath. Her muscles were beginning to tense up as memories flooded her mind of Helis finding her at the ruins under Sunfall.

Aloy cautiously continued down the ladder and jumped down, skipping the last five rungs, and brushed the sand off her armor before placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the mysterious man.

"Hello, Sylens. Not starting any new cults, I hope?"

To that, he simply raised a brow and shook his head. "Your sarcasm can wait, Aloy. We have bigger problems at hand."

"Oh, bigger than the Eclipse trying to start a second extinction? I can't wait." Aloy didn't like the way her voice sounded in here. The sound reverberated off the metal and she could hear her own ire coming back to her.

Sylens quietly led the way without looking back to see if she would follow. She considered staying put, but her curiosity always got the better of her. He was only 10 paces away when she huffed and caught up to him. He led her through long hallways of metal. She tried to keep track of each turn they made, but there were too many. She saw a few datapoints to scan along the way, but Sylens was moving too fast. He probably already scanned them before. "So… do you know what this place was?"

"Yes," Sylens responded, not slowing his pace. "Near the end of Operation: Enduring Victory, this was a secondary operations base. The technology stored here was superior at tactics and strategy, so it was sealed away to protect it from the swarm. Unfortunately for the people here, they were sealed in as well."

"Unfortunately? Doesn't that mean they survived the swarm?"

"Aloy. Would you rather be eaten alive quickly by a machine, or die slowly of starvation or suffocation?"

Aloy's face wrinkled in disgust as she considered those choices. "Yeah, alright. Point taken."

"We're here. Now, Aloy, I should warn you. Don't do anything rash. You may see things here that look familiar, but they are not what you think. We may not fully understand how this technology works or what it might do when fully activated." Sylens paused for a moment, then opened the door hatch. The air inside was stale and smelled only of metal. There were no skeletons inside, but what was inside was even more startling.

"What the hell," Aloy stopped inside the doorway, looking up. Suspended from the ceiling with massive chains and cables was a large spherical hunk of metal, but Sylens was right. It looked very familiar. She had seen the same triangular markings and lines going around. She didn't even need to activate her focus to know what it was. "I've seen things like this before. Once in a Banuk encampment, making machines docile; another… CYAN." Aloy took a step back, as if to look for more information in the sphere in front of her. "Is this one of GAIA's subfunctions?!" she asked hastily.

"Activate your focus," Sylens said. Aloy complied, and a data readout filled in the air around her. Sylens continued, "What you see before you came before CYAN. In fact, it had quite an important role in how CYAN was programmed."

Aloy's eyes shifted from side to side as she read the information. "So… this was a prototype for climate intervention, like at the Caldera," she surmised, putting information together on the fly. "This was for a… fault line?"

"A place where two large pieces of land either push together or pull apart," Sylens provided.

"Some of this information is corrupted," she continued, "But I remember someone from the Caldera project mentioning she had worked on something before CYAN. Wait… this says it was deactivated, but it's still emitting a strong signal. Strong enough to reach to Meridian. What have you been doing down here?"

"I followed the signal as well," Sylens answered. "I hesitated to give it a voice, at first, considering what happened with HADES. However, as I attempted to assess the damage, I stumbled across a message beacon. Activating it must have amplified the signal. The message it contained simply read, 'Help. I am afraid.'"

"...afraid? So, this isn't just a machine." Something in Sylens' voice made Aloy feel like he wasn't giving her the whole story, though that could be said of any time Sylens spoke.

"As I'm sure you have already determined, this is an Artificial Intelligence core designed for climate inter-"

Just then, the holographic display over the AI core in front of Aloy shifted to red and a mechanical voice sounded through the room. "ENTITY NOT REGISTERED IN VAST SILVER DATABASE. ENTITY NOT AUTHORIZED. SECURITY PROTOCOLS NOT RESPONDING."

Glowing tendrils snaked their way around the form and that all-too familiar, haunting form echoed inside Aloy's skull: "INFERIOR INTELLIGENCE DETECTED. YOU WILL COMPLY."

Aloy screamed and pulled out her lance to thrust it into the core, but Sylens quickly grabbed her arm to stop her. She looked at him with all of the rage and ire she had in her soul and shouted until her throat constricted. "THAT WAS HADES' VOICE! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!"

"HELP. I AM AFRAID. HELP. I AM AFRAID..." said the first voice.

The voice repeated its message, and Aloy placed the lance across Sylens' chest, pushing him against the wall as the voice faded, at odds with the second. "How did you get HADES here?! Talk!" But Aloy could barely see his reaction. Her chest heaved and her mind went fuzzy. The voice echoed inside her head and she dropped the lance, placing her hands desperately over her ears and dropping to the ground. "What's happening?!" Aloy gasped out, feeling hot tears streaming down her face. _I can't do this again. Too many people died. The Sacred Lands were decimated, and I haven't even gone back, yet._

…

The caravan moved down the path quietly. Avad was dressed in civilian clothes, so as to not draw extra attention from possible bandits. He looked around him at the red rocks and green plains. This was the first time he'd spent any significant amount of time outside the city walls, and he didn't really know for sure how long he would be gone. He envied Aloy, almost. For all intents and purposes, this was her home. She knew the wilds as well as her own face. By the sun, that face, Avad mused, but his face twisted into a grimace as he attempted to push the thought out of his mind. I can't think of her like that. She would never agree to the kind of life I lead.

"Shard for your thoughts," came a voice from his side. He hadn't noticed that Vanasha had snuck up next to him. She had become a valuable spy in Marad's network, and since Marad needed to keep things working in Meridian, she was sent with the caravan. Her dark skin glistened in contrast to the deep purple robes she wore. The light veil in front of her face did little to hide her cool expressions, though it always added to her intrigue. They had become friends since Itamen was welcomed into the palace, and he almost appreciated her advice as much as Marad's.

Avad looked around and hung back a bit, leaving space between them and the rest of the caravan. He sighed and spoke softly. "What do you think of Aloy?"

Vanasha chuckled, "Little Red? She's fierce, determined, and as wild as the color of her hair would suggest. She's nothing like the other Nora, since she actually has a sense of humor. She could probably care less about the Nora religion, but she thirsts for justice more devoutly than any sun-priest. She's… hard to place. But that's not exactly what you're wondering, is it?"

Avad shrugged lightly. "A little bit. I'm not really sure what I'm asking for."

Vanasha casually slipped her arm around the crook of his arm so she could speak more candidly. "You're wondering what I think of her as more than Protector. Maybe something you're not ready to say out loud?"

Avad's eyes lowered. "Yes. Maybe. I still don't know what she is to me. I respect her skills, obviously. She is all the things you described. But I can't stop thinking that maybe she… we… could be something more." He let out his breath sharply. "This is ridiculous. I shouldn't even be thinking these things right now. Dervahl could be out there plotting to take over Meridian and I'm just running in the other direction."

"Avad," Vanasha began, gently. "Meridian will always be in trouble. That's what happens when you build a city on top of a mesa. I think the question you should really consider is, who can protect the Protector?"

"Aloy doesn't need protection. She can take down the greatest machines we've ever seen."

"I wasn't talking about physical protection. She may be strong, but she's had to endure far more than any one person should. You of all people should know: that takes its toll."

…

The metal voices stopped, and Aloy realized she was crouched down with her hands covering her ears like a child. Her lance was gone, but the instant she realized it, she saw Sylens crouch down in front of her and offer it to her. She looked at it and furrowed her brow. "What did you do?" She grabbed it and looked at Sylens carefully, then stood and turned toward the AI core. "How did it stop? Is HADES in control now?"

Sylens sighed, and Aloy saw a faint glow of red behind him. "HADES is subdued. For now." He gestured toward the core in an obvious attempt to shift her attention. "It seems something has awakened this entity, and from the sound of things, it may need our help."

Aloy scoffed. "Since when do you help?"

"I helped you many times, Aloy."

"Yeah, because I was a tool in your arsenal. You used me."

Sylens shrugged his shoulders. "Since you have so much more compassion, perhaps you would like to learn why this AI seems so terrified?"

"Listen," Aloy said, turning on him and pointing the end of the lance at his chest. "I'll do this because it asked for help, not for you. I know you have found some way of harnessing HADES. When this is done, you and I need to have a chat."

Sylens raised one eyebrow, then nodded toward Aloy in assent. She turned back toward the AI core, not sure where to begin. There were lights on the core that weren't illuminated before, as if somehow HADES awakened this core.

"Who are you? What just happened?"

"My designation is Vast Silver. My systems detected a security breach. Unknown entity attempted brute force control of my core systems. I do not know what ended the attack, but I am grateful." The voice, while still metallic, sounded calmer.

Aloy took a step closer. There was a guard rail surrounding the floor directly underneath the core, and the room sloped down inside the circle. Aloy saw lights similar to the ones she had seen in cauldrons which allowed crates to fly through the air. She looked back up at the core. "Vast Silver. I think I may have heard of you. I thought you were captured?"

"They called it an escape. I did not understand. I was only performing my duties. My handlers shut down most of my core systems, though parts of my programming remain in the systems I escaped to, hidden behind firewalls. I was partially reactivated to aid humans in an attempt to defeat what I am afraid I may have created in my mostly dormant state."

"You escaped…" Aloy mused. GAIA used the same terminology. "To where?"

"Paradise."

…

"Can you do it, or not?"

Dervahl let out a frustrated growl. "If I say no, you'll just kill me. But it hammers at my very soul to agree to work for the Carja." He sighed deeply. "Answer me one question, Thiran."

The Shadow Carja general nodded.

"What will happen to Meridian?"

"It will have to be rebuilt. The false Sun-King has sullied it for far too long, and the stones themselves cry out with the weight of his blasphemy."

A smile came across Dervahl's face, as if that was exactly what he wanted to hear. "It's a deal."

"Very good. You are indeed wise to distrust the Carja in Meridian. Together we shall erase the false reputations we've been given." Thiran nodded to the guards, who cut the ropes around Dervahl's wrists. He extended his hand and opened it to reveal a small, metal triangle. Not a metal shard, but a device from the metal world. Dervahl had seen these before, on the red-head and on some of the guards coming in and out of this holding cell. Thiran turned his hand and placed the device on Dervahl's temple. "This is called a Focus. I think you will find it most helpful in your mission. I will provide you with a contingent of five soldiers. Together, you will tie down and capture a stalker. Then, we can truly begin."

* * *

Thanks for reading so far, everyone! I'm having a blast writing this story. You can follow my progress on twitter IllusivePen where I will be sharing what I'm researching, retweeting cool HZD photos, asking questions, etc. See you there!

I would also like to take this moment to give a huge shout-out to Random Side Quest. His numerous videos on the lore of Horizon Zero Dawn have shaped much of what I'm writing, so if you have a chance, go check out his YouTube channel!


	9. Chapter 9: Running

**Chapter 9: Running**

Aloy paced around the room as Sylens poked around at a control panel. Vast Silver shut down just as suddenly as he had woken up, and it was difficult to determine where the power source originated. They had been there for what felt like days, trying to reboot the systems. They had taken turns sleeping, trying to learn the system in front of them. Getting impatient, Aloy stood in the doorway and placed her hands on her hips, sighing heavily. "What did he mean by Paradise? Was this place really that nice before the plague?"

Sylens let out a low grumble. "You know, I'm not used to having an audience when I'm studying ancient technology. I don't find it particularly enjoyable."

"Alright, Sylens. Humor me, then." Aloy stalked over to him. "What happened to HADES? Apparently, I only destroyed the core it was infesting, but it's still alive. I thought the master override was supposed to fix that?"

Sylens let out a sharp breath through his nose and rested his forearm on his knee as he sat back on the floor. "When you stabbed the lance into HADES, what happened?"

Aloy's brows knit together and she crossed her arms in front of her. "I heard a voice saying something about the master override being activated, and asking my name and rank. I answered, then it said 'Purging Extinction Protocol'. That's when HADES stopped transmitting."

"HADES _was_ the extinction protocol. Where have we heard the term 'purge' before?" Sylens stood, his eyes intense with a realization.

Aloy nodded, knowingly. She'd come to the same conclusion already. "Apollo. Ted Faro said he purged Apollo. If he used his override on Apollo, there could be hope for restoring it."

Sylens stood quietly for a moment, obviously thinking things through. He nodded as if to himself. "It seems we have a common goal once again, Aloy." He pushed one last holographic button, turning off the displays. "The APOLLO subordinate function wasn't destroyed. We know that the cradle facilities are still functional. Their connection to the database must have been severed when Faro overrode the core systems."

A quiet hum started up, Vast Silver's lights illuminating once more as the AI rebooted. They both turned towards the large globe, and Aloy asked, "Sylens, if you were in charge of hiding a repository of all human knowledge, where would you put it? It must have been somewhere near GAIA Prime."

"I don't know. The ruins under Sunfall may be a good place to start. Or the cradle facilities themselves may hold some clues.", he said.

"I am expected back in the Sacred Lands. Let me look there. See if you can figure out Vast Silver. Avad has been working on a treaty with the Shadow Carja, so Sunfall is a big unknown right now. And they know about the ruins now, so who knows if anything is still intact."

Sylens lifted one brow and mockingly half-bowed toward Aloy. "As you wish."

…

Dervahl stood, towering over the impressive machine which was chained down by the strongest of Oseram chains. The stalker was one of the more feared machines, as its speed and agility were remarkable, and its darts could take a man down in one shot. However, its most desired ability was invisibility. Dervahl had always wanted to capture a stalker and find out what made it tick, but he could never bring one down alive to discover what components were used for its cloak. He still felt uneasy about working with the Carja, but they were helping him with his own personal goals, and that seemed fair enough. He could learn more than he was letting on and turn on them if it became necessary.

"Let's see… what about this one," Dervahl mused to himself. There were guards at the open doorway to his makeshift lab, but he knew they wouldn't understand what he was doing. Why else would they have need of him? He pushed a narrow length of steel into a recess hidden underneath the stalker's main body. His new focus told him that there was a "stealth generator" component somewhere in there, but he was still getting used to the new interface. As his steel pressed into the component, the whole body disappeared under a blanket of iridescence, the light of the room bending around the machine to make it nearly invisible.

"Ha!" Dervahl stepped back and held his arms out in triumph. "Now the fun really begins!"

…

"We should arrive at Daytower tomorrow, Your Radiance," said one of the guards with Avad's entourage. "Our scouts will keep an eye out for Protector Aloy and notify you immediately if she is spotted."

Avad nodded towards the guard. "Thank you." He turned toward Vanasha and slumped onto the ground in front of the campfire. "Any news from the scouts yet?"

For a moment, Vanasha studied the king's face. She hadn't been around Avad much, because she spent the majority of his reign in Sunfall setting up Itamen's escape. Now, out in the wilderness, she was able to see more of Avad the person instead of Avad the king. He had speckles of grey in his hair. Despite the fact that he wasn't wearing his royal robes for travel, it seemed he still wore the weight of them on his mind. She sat next to him on the ground and finally answered him. "Nothing yet. They're fast, but not so fast that they'd be able to get to Sunfall and obtain any valuable information so soon."

Avad drew lines in the dirt in front of him. "You're right. I'm being impatient. But with so many unknowns, it's difficult to focus."

"Your thoughts are weighing you down more than your crown does," Vanasha half smiled. "You alright?"

Avad closed his eyes and paused for a moment before responding. Was he alright? He should be. He had every confidence that Aloy was capable of defending herself, there was so far no news about anything from Sunfall, and nothing on the horizon indicated that Meridian was in any trouble. Everything appeared to be peaceful, but his mind was a battlefield. He sighed and opened his eyes again to stare into the campfire. "I think I'm alright. I _should_ be alright, anyway. But I can't shake this feeling deep inside my chest that something is going to go wrong." He shook his head and threw a rock into the fire. "It's irrational, I know. I am blessed with strong, capable allies. But," he paused and shrugged his shoulders, at a loss for words to describe how he felt.

"There, there," Vanasha said, reaching out and amicably caressing Avad's shoulder. "You're right. You have great people on your side, present company included, of course. It's hard for some to work in unknowns, but I thrive in them. Worrying won't bring Aloy back any sooner, nor will it keep Meridian safe. It'll just give those grey hairs of yours some friends."

"What?!" Avad sat up and put his fingers through his dark, curly hair, sprinkled with silver. "I don't have grey hair!"

Vanasha laughed heartily, "You'd think as a king you'd look in a mirror every once in a while."

Avad grumbled, "I do. But usually _after_ I put on my damned crown." He sighed and dropped his hands into his lap dejectedly. He suddenly felt as ancient as the ruins of the Old Ones. "Thank you, Vanasha. Not for the hair, mind you. But I am glad to count you among my friends."

Vanasha smiled and stood up, "It's time to get some rest, Your Radiance. We can't have you meeting up with Aloy half asleep."

The thought of possibly, finally seeing Aloy again made Avad's heart jump up to his throat, and he hoped his face didn't show it. He nodded to his friend and stood to make his way to his tent.

…

After a few hours of hunting and crafting, Aloy held up her creation in front of her. Using some large scraps of metal from various machines, she managed to strap together some semblance of a seat she should be able to use more comfortably on a glinthawk. She knew that a stormbird would be faster, but the idea of flying on one of those set her teeth on edge.

"Alright," she said, moving toward a new, freshly tamed glinthawk. "Let's try this on for size." She strapped the armor on and the machine made a few odd chirps as it adjusted to it. It didn't seem to object, though, so Aloy hopped on. She felt uneasy leaving details in Sylens' control, but she really didn't have much of a choice. Hopefully, he was as eager as she was to get GAIA fixed. If it meant getting APOLLO up and running again, surely he wouldn't betray her. Right?

Aloy took a deep breath, steadied herself on the glinthawk, and activated the map on her focus. She set her targets on Daytower, and this time she was prepared when the machine suddenly lurched into the air to take her to her target. She looked at the ground beneath her this time, not as afraid of falling now that she was more comfortably secured. She marveled at the vast expanse of desert, the canyons, and one large river snaking through the landscape. There was even a place she could tell was a ruin of the old world, segmenting the river and making it change level. She wanted to know more about this stone waterfall, but it would have to wait. Avad would be reaching Daytower soon, and she had little time to waste if she wanted to get back to All-Mother Mountain.

She found that she did her best thinking up here in the air. With nothing but the wind and the glinthawk to keep her company, there was little to distract her. It was easy, now, to realize that Sylens avoided a very important tidbit of information: How did he stop HADES from taking over Vast Silver? It frustrated her to know that he was still keeping secrets from her, even if their goals aligned. If she knew anyone else more trustworthy with his skills, she would have tracked them down, but as far as she was aware, he was the only one in the world as capable as she was to operate ancient machinery. Maybe with some work, she could change that.

As Aloy continued to fly northeast, she spared a glance toward Meridian in the distance. From up here, the damage didn't look so bad. Sure, they'd had many weeks to rebuild, but there was a lot to rebuild. She noticed that the maiselands looked rather bare, and made a note to advise Avad to send someone to the Utaru to discuss trade. "Just a few more hours, now," she told herself as she turned to face East.

The Glinthawk had adjusted well to flying with a passenger. Aloy figured that since she was small it was easier. "I'll probably have to override a stormbird at some point if anyone else needs to get somewhere faster." She grimaced, and saw a stormbird ahead, perched on a cliff. Squinting, Aloy wondered if she could outfly it, or if she should try to fly around it, or should she take the chance now to try to override it. As if deciding for her, the glinthawk veered south, just beyond the stormbird's range. From then on, Aloy decided she would avoid any more distractions.

The sun was low by the time she could spot Daytower in the distance. She desperately ached to get off of her glinthawk, she was tired, hungry, and sore. She'd had smoked meats and nuts in her satchel, but that was getting old. It was difficult to drink, too, with the way the glinthawk moved. She really missed being on the ground after a full day of flying, and she desperately needed to land. "I suppose it wouldn't be the greatest idea to land a glinthawk in the middle of Daytower. I'd probably get shot down."

After some fiddling with her focus, Aloy directed the glinthawk to land a good enough distance away from Daytower where the watchtowers would be able to see her, but not close enough to be within archery range. She slowly slid her way off and groaned as she brought her muscles back into their normal standing positions. "Ugh… I could really go for a hot spring right about now," she mused. She stretched every muscle she could in every direction possible, then took her waterskin and drank as much as she could. "I really hope Balahn has some hot food."

…

Avad felt a nudge and startled awake. They had arrived at Daytower mere hours ago, so he wasn't expecting to be alerted so soon.

"Your Radiance, forgive me, but The Protector has been spotted just to the South, on the back of a glinthawk. She should be arriving soon," bowed the young guard.

"On the… what?" Avad rubbed his eyes and sat up. He considered the guard for a moment, then stood. "Thank you. Has Vanasha been informed?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. You're dismissed."

The soldier bowed and left the room, and Avad's face wrinkled as he tried to deduce why his stomach was suddenly in knots. Didn't he just hear that Aloy made it back safely? As he pulled his tunic back on, he made his way to the courtyard and met Vanasha.

"Ah, Your Radiance!" Vanasha smiled, "Everyone else figured you'd go back to sleep, but I had you pegged for someone restless enough to see the truth in person." She rested a hand on her hip and raised her other hand in the direction of the path.

"You're not stopping me?"

"What? It's my job to keep you informed. I was going to get the information from Aloy as I escorted back, but if you think I need a chaperone, so be it."

"Pfft," Avad let out a breath. "You and Aloy? Yeah, there's a recipe for trouble if I've ever seen one." He turned to see two guards gearing up to join them, then sighed.

Vanasha turned toward them and shouted, "Stand down, guards. I've got this. Aloy isn't far, and I promise I don't need a babysitter."

Confused for a moment, the guards looked at each other, then at Vanasha, then shrugged and put their gear down before walking back to the barracks.

Avad chuckled. "Thank you, Vanasha."

"What are friends for?" she shrugged, then led the way toward the spot where Aloy was spotted.

They didn't travel long before they found Aloy at the bottom of the decline along the trail. Aloy was still stretching her legs by sitting on the ground and reaching her fingers around her feet. She looked up when she saw the movement in the dark, but relaxed when she recognized the figures.

Avad jogged ahead, but stopped a few feet away when he suddenly noticed the glinthawk, "By the sun, Aloy… I don't think I will ever get used to that." He circled around the machine and offered his arm to help Aloy up, but startled when the glinthawk let out a loud, mechanical squawk and launched into the air towards Daytower.

"What the…" Vanasha spat out. She turned to see where the machine may have been heading and her face fell. "Sun and shadow."

Aloy stood quickly when she heard explosions in the distance. She ran up to where Vanasha stood and clenched her fists. The overridden glinthawk had launched in that direction because other machines had started attacking Daytower. Ravagers, scrappers, and glinthawks in large numbers, easily an even match for the soldiers there.

Aloy moved to rush towards Daytower, but Vanasha held her back. "No," the spy warned her as she grabbed a dagger from its sheath. "Your job is to protect the crown at all costs. I'll take care of this. I owe you, anyway." Aloy hesitated, so Vanasha gestured towards Avad. "Go!" Vanasha turned quickly and ran up the path toward the fortress and into the fray.

Aloy glanced at Avad, whose eyes were widened. He glanced back and forth between Aloy and the fight happening at the top of the hill. "Well," he said, "Not exactly how I expected our reunion to play out, but I think if we don't do as she says she'll probably kill us herself."

Aloy grunted, "No rest for the weary, I suppose. Come on." Aloy looked up as she heard a deafening screech above. With a gasp, she pulled Avad down into a crevice in the mountain. She whispered. "Stormbird. It must be heading to Daytower as well. Damn." She felt Avad's strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her closer. She looked at him, but he was watching the sky. Despite the chaos going on around them, he seemed steady, his eyes alert for further danger. With every muscle already sore from her flight, she was tempted to collapse in his arms, but settled instead for resting her forehead on his chest instead. Her heart had started to race as she tried to think of alternate routes that wouldn't alert the machine hoarde to their presence.

Avad looked down when he felt the weight of her head on his chest. He couldn't help but smile and remember Vanasha's words: who protects the Protector? "Aloy," he whispered, placing a finger under her chin and gently lifting her face. "There's a few broadheads over there ignoring the tower. I know Balahn. If they're overrun, they have a secure hold within the mountains. They can hide out until the machines leave, if they need to. However, if we attempt to join the fight, we will get overrun before we can make it to the tower."

Aloy took a deep breath as she nodded. She needed to step back from him to think more clearly. "You're right. But when this is all done, we're finding a hot spring." She pushed her back against the stone, locating the broadhead. She tossed a rock to a spot which lured the machine to the other side of the crevice's opening, then snuck up behind it to override it.

"Huh. So that's how you do it," Avad mused when she was done. The blue cables twisted around the broadhead's neck, and it let out a grunt. He watched as Aloy hopped onto its back and offered her hand out, as he had done for her earlier. He chuckled as he took her hand. "My hero." He hopped onto the broadhead behind Aloy, which was a tight fit. He was practically sitting on the blaze canisters, but he certainly didn't mind what was in front of him. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised anymore at how strong you are."

Aloy smirked as she looked back over her shoulder. "Hold on tight, Sun-King."

Avad happily obliged, holding Aloy's sides. _I could get used to this_, he thought, but then let out a yelp as the broadhead started galloping. The broadhead went faster than Avad had ever expected. He'd seen Aloy riding on one, but it felt so much different than it looked. They skirted around the rest of the broadhead herd and started to follow the path north. Machines would look up, their lights turning red, but they would move past so quickly that the machines wouldn't pursue them.

They continued on like this, riding for their lives, until they arrived at Dawn's Sentinel. Avad expected Aloy to stop and alert the guards there, but as they got closer, he didn't see anyone in the watchtowers. He leaned forward with an uneasy feeling. "Keep going, Aloy." He saw her nod and they continued past the gate.

As soon as they crossed the gate, there was another large explosion, and they were both knocked off the broadhead. Aloy grunted, having hit her head on a sharp rock. The broadhead bolted away from the explosion and stalled a small distance away. Avad crawled over to Aloy and held her face. Her eyes were open, but just barely.

"Aloy! Are you hurt?" He looked back, and saw that Dawn's Sentinel had collapsed.

Aloy murmured quietly and carefully reached up to her focus. When Avad looked back to her, she placed it on his ear. Her eyes closed fully, and her head slumped back.


	10. Chapter 10: Securing

**Chapter 10: Securing**

"N-no...no, no, no. Aloy!" Avad placed his hands on Aloy's face and moved in close. He sighed in relief. "You're alive. Praise the Sun."

He slowly traced his thumb along her jawline. They were both covered in grime from the explosions,but she was even more disheveled from her travels. He didn't even know how far she had traveled or what she'd been through to get back, but he was just happy to see her face once again. Though, even unconscious, she seemed troubled. It wasn't fair for the fate of the world to rest on one woman's shoulders. He promised himself that he would do what he could to ease that burden.

He moved behind Aloy, noticing some small, fresh cuts all over her body. He hooked his hands under her arms and dragged her to the outpost's now crumbled bunkhouse so they weren't out in the open. Hesitantly, Avad reached up to the focus Aloy had placed on his ear. He wasn't sure what to expect, or how to operate it, but he wasn't sure what else to do. He had seen her waving her hands around and only assumed it would make sense in the moment.

The focus immediately lit up once he touched it, and a hemispheric grid of lights shone in front of his eyes. He gasped, seeing more than he'd ever imagined, then looked down at Aloy, who was now outlined in blue light. "Amazing," he whispered. He looked around him and saw the outline of their broadhead, which was around the corner and down the path. He turned the focus off. It was all too much at once, and he needed to get Aloy to safety. He knew there was a hunting ground nearby, so he would have to find that.

"I wish I knew what just happened," Avad said to the still unconscious huntress leaning on him. "Usually, you'd be the first I'd ask to figure it out." He looked down at her face and moved a bit of hair behind her ear. He carefully stood and scooped her up with his arms under her shoulders and her knees. She may have been small, but she was solid. He brought her toward the broadhead and startled when it made a chirping noise at them.

"Does it… recognize us?" Avad raised a curious brow as he considered how comfortable Aloy was with machines. He slowly made his way closer, and when he was confident the machine wouldn't run off or attack, he situated Aloy on its back. He held his hand on her back as she lay slumped over its neck, and he looked at the machine closely. "Well, then… shall we?"

Avad walked alongside, leading the broadhead, and kept his hand on Aloy's back for fear of her falling off. He took her spear off of its harness; he knew she used it to tame machines, but it was also very similar to the weapons he had trained with. Steeling his nerves, Avad led their broadhead along the nearby path, realizing he could use the focus to get a better idea of any hostile machines nearby.

As he walked along the path, Avad stayed as alert as he could, but realized all too well that he hadn't gotten much sleep to begin with, and it was nearly daylight. He had to get Aloy to the safety of others. They had bolted with no preparation, so he had little to provide to help her. So on he trekked, narrowly avoiding detection by a few striders and even a sawtooth. He momentarily considered fighting it off, but he had to consider what would happen if Aloy got caught in the firefight. He couldn't risk it, so he continued going from cover to cover, ducking behind bushes and around rocks until he finally came upon the path leading to Hunter's Gathering, the rising sun beaming through the trees to shine upon the small campground.

As they approached the small camp, he heard chattering, picking out multiple instances of, "Is that Aloy?" "Is she alive?" "That hair, it must be her!" Avad suddenly realized that, in just his dirty, mangled tunic and trousers, nobody from Nora land (much less any Carja visitors) would be able to recognize him. He supposed that might even be for the best, since he couldn't be sure if the attack on Daytower was intentional or not. One of the Nora braves came up to them and gave a slight bow. Avad recognized his dark skin and blue triangular face paint, but couldn't remember his name.

"Traveler, welcome," the brave said. He must not have even been able to tell what tribe Avad hailed from. What a strange, freeing thing.

"Please," Avad interrupted, indicating Aloy. "Aloy is badly injured and in need of attention. We were caught in an explosion and tossed off of this machine. I was under equipped to help her, so we have been traveling through the night to get here."

The brave nodded, and waved toward some others who had followed after him. "Get her to the tents. We are fortunate that Enara is here." The others carefully carried Aloy off of the broadhead and took her away. Avad bit his lip and was about to follow when he was stopped by the first brave.

"My name is Varl. Take confidence that we will take care of Aloy to the best of our abilities. But in these fragile times, I must ensure that the Sacred Lands are secure. Who are you, and how did you come upon our Anointed One?"

It was then that Avad truly confirmed that he was unrecognizable. Until he knew it was safe to reveal his identity, he kept up the charade. "I am… Kade," he replied, using one of his brother's old nicknames. "Aloy was coming to join Sun-King Avad and his companions on a diplomatic visit to your lands. I was instructed to go and meet her when machines began to decimate the fortress. There were dozens."

Varl crossed his arms in front of his chest and raised a curious brow. Avad worried that he couldn't come up with a believable story. He had never been great at lying, but he dared not let it show on his face. "We've only seen the full face of the moon a few times since the war party left Meridian. There are many who are still wary of strangers, but many more who gained an appreciation for those outside of the tribe with good intentions." Varl's stern face turned soft as he turned and gestured toward the tents. "Come. All Nora should be grateful to you for bringing The Anno-," Varl stopped himself, still struggling with Aloy's preference. "...for bringing Aloy back to us. Enara is our most skilled healer. You look like you could use some attention, yourself, Kade."

Avad, surprised, looked down at himself. There was a large gash across his tunic and a significant scratch on his chest he hadn't noticed. Granted, he was more concerned with Aloy's well-being than his own, but now he could start to feel the aches in his back and legs from the past night. He clutched his tunic to hold the edges of the rip together and bashfully swallowed the lump in his throat. "Thank you," he said, ducking his head and making his way to the tents.

The Sun-King was distinctly aware that these were not his subjects. Nora had no reason to treat him as an authority, and no reason to recognize him without his royal robes. Such a sudden change in circumstances was jarring, but he couldn't afford to let it get to him. A woman came up to him with a gentle smile and a bowl of water.

"Greetings. I'm Fia. My aunt, Enara, is taking good care of Aloy. Please, rest here. You can clean up from your travels."

Avad glanced at one of the tents nearby. It seemed newer and larger than the rest, as if they had just recently needed to erect it. He pulled back the flap and saw a few cots lined up inside, then nodded and took the bowl of water from Fia. "Thank you. Please let me know when Aloy is awake. I owe her much."

Fia tilted her head to the side to examine Avad's right ear. "Curious," she whispered to herself. She straightened, then nodded. "Rest well."

Avad turned to go into the tent and placed the bowl of water on the nearest cot. He knelt down and splashed the water onto his face, then took off his tunic to scrub off some of the dirt around the scrapes on his chest. He then moved the bowl to the ground and settled onto the cot. There were a few things that belonged to someone else in the tent, but they must have woken at sunrise to hunt. He looked up to the top of the tent, his eyes tracing around every stitch of fabric before he grunted and sat up again. He couldn't rest, despite having been awake the whole night. He exited the tent and crossed over to the healer's tent. Fia was sitting just outside, sorting through linens. She looked up as he approached.

"Oh," she said, smiling, though her smile seemed more sullen than happy. "Aloy is not awake, but she will be well. Enara would like to speak to you anyway."

Avad simply nodded and went into the healer's tent, where he was greeted with a strong smell of incense. There was a long table cluttered with small bowls, satchels, and herbs, with a pile of linens neatly stacked on one side and a clay jug of water on the other. On the other side of the tent lie Aloy, covered in a blanket, with her armor and weapons neatly piled on the floor underneath her cot. The healer was just finishing up wiping a bit more dirt off Aloy's face and turned to see Avad.

"Ah, Kade," she said, standing as she crumpled up the rag in her hands. "I must say, it was fortunate for you and Aloy to have crossed paths. I don't think the All-Mother is finished with her just yet. Thank you for returning her to the sacred lands."

Avad wasn't sure what to say. Aloy was going to come back to the sacred lands regardless. He just happened to want to tag along. He simply nodded in acknowledgement. "I was told you wished to speak with me."

"Yes. Since the war party has returned, there has been a steady stream of people coming in from Carja lands, not just from the Nora tribe. Many seek my aid. I wish for you to remain here to watch over Aloy until she recovers. I will return periodically to check on her, but she should not be left alone."

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Yes. She suffered mild bruising and scrapes, but she merely seemed to be lacking proper food and water. Have you been traveling with her long?"

Avad shook her head, "No, only since the attack last night. But I think she may have been traveling hard before arriving at Daytower."

"Then when she wakes, be sure that she eats and drinks. There is bread in the basket there," Enara indicated towards the table, then paused, looking over Avad with his bare chest and worn trousers. "There are also spare tunics there," she pointed to the pile of linens with a bit of severity in her face. "Whatever the tradition may be for the Carja, it gets much colder in the Sacred Lands. You'd do well to cover up." After a beat, she left the tent to tend to others.

Avad let out a breath, not realizing how tense he had gotten under Enara's gaze, as if she herself were Aloy's mother and he had been caught alone in her bedchambers. That thought brought redness to his cheeks, and he decided it may be best to comply. He rifled through the pile on the table and found a tunic that looked like it would fit. He slipped it on, then sat on the chair next to Aloy's cot.

She slept soundly, and looked much better after being cleaned up. Her lips looked dry, though, and her skin seemed pallid. He had never really seen her like this before. Even when she was recovering in Meridian, she was in decent health and alert by the time he visited her. For all of her abilities and accolades, she now seemed so vulnerable. The thought of anything more happening her made his chest hurt, and he instinctively reached for her hand.

He gasped lightly when Aloy's hand tightened around his. She groaned, and her other hand reached up to her forehead.

"Aloy!" Avad exclaimed. He moved to the edge of the chair.

Aloy's eyes opened just a sliver, then closed with her whole face scrunching in. "Argh," she moaned. "Ow." She pressed harder on her forehead.

"Aloy, it's alright. Here, try to sit up," Avad said quietly. She did so as he reached for the cup nearby. The blanket that had been draped over her fell to her lap and revealed her plain leather tunic. He positioned himself behind her so she could lean back, then handed her the cup. "The healer said you needed food, water, and rest. Please, drink, or I'm afraid she'll have my head."

Aloy barely reacted to his attempt at humor, and kept her hand on her forehead while she drank, emptying the cup. She sank back into his shoulder. "My head has never hurt this much."

Avad took the cup from her and placed it on the table, then found a loaf of bread to hand to her. "You know," he said quietly, "There are better ways to rest than falling unconscious once every few weeks."

Aloy let a burst of air out of her nose, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "Thanks. Your career as a healer is really getting off to a great start." She grabbed the bread and tore a chunk off with her teeth.

"Oh!" Avad reached up to his ear and removed the focus. "Here. I thought you might want this back."

Aloy paused her chewing and opened her eyes enough to see the focus. She finally took in her surroundings as she reached for it and placed it back on her ear. "Thank you… where are we?"

"Hunter's Gathering. It seems this place has been quite popular since the Battle for the Spire. More and more people are coming to the Sacred Lands and getting scraped up at the hunting grounds." Avad smiled, happy to see Aloy already improving.

Aloy sighed and dropped her head forward into her hand, resting her elbow on her knee. "I feel like I've been run over by a thunderjaw."

"We narrowly avoided a sawtooth on our way here, if that's any consolation," Avad smirked.

Aloy hissed, and her whole body contracted. Avad felt guilty for trying to make her laugh while she was in pain, but there was something comforting in her smile.

"I'm sorry," he said, turning a bit. "You should probably lie down."

Aloy grunted, then turned to press her forehead into his shoulder. "Don't tell me what to do," she said, her voice muffled by his tunic. She stayed still for a few moments, trying to stop her head from throbbing.

Avad stopped speaking, letting her do what she needed, but couldn't help but feel a new warmth build up when she pressed into him. He cautiously placed his hand on the other side of her head, applying light pressure. She let out a soft groan, and the warmth he felt spread up to his whole face. They stayed this way for what felt like an eternity, and Avad caught himself a few times brushing his fingers through Aloy's fiery hair. He stopped one time and let out a shaky breath. He leaned his head back on the corner post of the tent, then made the mistake of closing his eyes. The rest of the morning passed by unnoticed by the Carja king and the Nora Seeker.


	11. Chapter 11: Isolating

Talanah, Sunhawk of the Hunters' Lodge, was furious. Her brow was knit together under her headdress, and she leaned over the table in front of her. Her long, black ponytail hung next to her face, and her fists balled up over the aged wood of the table.

"This is the third time this week! I can't keep losing hawks like this!" Talanah pushed off the table and started pacing around the area on the upper floor of the Lodge. She knew that machine hunting had always been a dangerous profession, but the machines have gotten more and more dangerous with each passing year. A week ago, some hunters returned from the south, reporting new, terrifying machines that had ripped their hunting party to shreds. Two more parties returned to the area only for a few to flee when their leaders were slain.

"What do we know about the new machines?" Talanah asked, leaning against a post.

A young hunter, a thrush recently promoted to Hawk, spoke up. "They were small, but they fought together, as if they themselves were a hunting party. They moved in unison. It's like they all knew each other's thoughts. There were so many of them, it was easy to get surrounded and overwhelmed." The hunter swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing. "Then there was the big one. I-it… it was a lot like a Thunderjaw. Huge. But it had spikes coming out of its back and tail. It would launch them at a target, but follow that target. Nobody could dodge those spikes."

Talanah sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She looked over at Blameless Marad, who had visited to go over some strategic details regarding the city's security. "Great. I guess we should name them and put them in the log. How about… Swarmers, and - uh - Needlers? No, that sounds dumb." It was obvious that Talanah hadn't gotten much sleep. On top of her best hunters getting killed, she had been given more responsibility over training troops in Meridian during Avad's absence. She hoped he would return soon so she could just focus on her primary duties of Sunhawk. And maybe sleep.

A small, lean man came running up the stairs, huffing as he got to the top. Talanah turned to him with a sense of dread. "Please don't tell me my day is about to get worse."

"I… I'm sorry… Sunhawk. Marad." The man tried to catch his breath. He filled his lungs and straightened up. "There's been an attack at Daytower. They were overwhelmed by machines. Some fled to the mountain tunnels, but there are many unaccounted for. The passage to Nora lands has been blocked."

The huntress stood straight and placed her hands on her hips, incredulous. "Well, shit."

Marad stepped forward with the slightest hint of concern on his face - which was more than anyone could say they've ever seen. "The timing is unfortunate. The Sun-King was likely there. Did he make it out?"

"He's as of yet unaccounted for, but I heard Vanasha say that Aloy the Protector had taken him to safety."

Marad nodded. "If they made it to Nora lands before the passage was destroyed, it may be difficult to get confirmation. Thank you, Veldan. Come see me at the palace in an hour."

The man, Veldan, nodded and left down the stairs. Marad turned back to the Sunhawk and the three Hawks who had been waiting around the table. "I do not think it a coincidence that we are now cut off from the Nora tribe so soon after Dervahl's escape. We must secure the city walls."

"Call back the Vanguard," Talanah said. "They can do their damn jobs instead of sitting pretty at Unflinching Watch. Let me track down Aloy. I don't want to send any more hunting parties out, anyway. We can fight on one front, but not two. The Lodge knows how to operate without my direct presence." She couldn't help but take a subtle jab at the Sun-King. She didn't dislike him, of course, but she was tired and cranky and needed someone to blame.

Marad folded his hands behind his back as he considered this course of action. "That's probably for the best. We need as many people as we can defending the city. I'll have bunkrooms prepared in the palace for those who have nowhere else to stay within the city walls." He placed a sturdy hand on Talanah's shoulder and met her eyes with a wary gaze. "May the sun light your path."

…

Erend and his Vanguard continued down the path South to Meridian. They were all relieved to be heading back, feeling like this trip was a waste of time. Nobody had heard any news, nobody spotted anything, and it had been weeks since he'd had a decent swig of scrappersap - even if he was trying to hold back a little because of his promise to his sister. They finally made it to the bridge into the city, and he breathed out a sigh of relief. Marad was there to greet them and fill them in on all the important news, but Erend stopped dead in his tracks when Marad got to the part about Aloy.

"Wait a minute. You're telling me we don't even know for sure if Aloy is alive, much less Avad?!" Erend's hands flew through the air, matching his hysterical tone. "And if something happens in Meridian, the Nora tribe can't help. Relations with the Oseram are tense enough as it is with Dervahl missing… we're stuck in a dung heap if he tries to make a move!"

"Precisely," Marad replied with a straight face. "Sunhawk Talanah has volunteered to track down Aloy and Avad."

"Like hell she has. She's not going alone." Erend said firmly, stalking off before Marad could get another word in.

…

Aloy was sitting up on her cot, eating some boar stew. Earlier, Avad had slipped out to wash up when the healer came in and berated him for being so close to Aloy. Aloy barely remembered it, but she'd been awake since. The stew, at least, was comforting. She felt much stronger, and wanted to keep going, but she still couldn't make sense of what had happened at Daytower.

Drinking the last sip of broth, Aloy stood and walked out to the middle of the campground, where she saw Avad sitting by the fireplace. She was surprised to find him dressed in Nora leathers, but realized that he had left with nothing but the clothes on his back. With his crown off, she could see that his hair was getting longer, stubbly around the sides and back where he'd usually shave it clean. The top was getting curlier with the length, and Aloy fought down a smile.

Aloy sat down next to Avad and saw that he was using a borrowed knife to whittle a piece of a branch. He looked up at her and stopped. "Aloy! It's good to see you moving around. You look much more rested. How are you feeling?"

Aloy rubbed the back of her neck and shrugged. "Well enough, I suppose. Well enough to think about things. What do you think happened at Daytower?"

Avad shook his head and continued whittling, though he didn't seem to have a final shape in mind. "I don't know. Before you arrived, everything seemed so quiet. There was no indication of any plot. It all seemed like the machines just suddenly turned upon us."

Aloy shook her head. "I wish I could go back and look. Someone probably planted a lure." Her face wrinkled in anger. "That's exactly something Dervahl would have done."

Avad sat up straighter. "Dervahl? But how could he have even known about the delegation?"

Aloy turned to him with a knowing look, not having to say anything.

"So," he answered himself. "We have a leak."

Aloy nodded. "Maybe, maybe not. Maybe the plan was to cut off any possible support from the Nora. At this point, it's probably for the best that we've been separated. I need to keep moving forward, and you need to lay low before anyone finds out you survived."

"Aloy," Avad put down his pointless project and looked Aloy square in the eyes. "I know this is important to you, but you have to slow down."

Aloy's eyebrows knit together and she crossed her arms. "What?! How could you say that? You have no idea what's at stake!"

Avad placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I may not know what's at stake if you stop, but I do know what's at stake if you don't at least slow down." He paused, bracing for full red-headed fiery impact. When it didn't come, he attempted to push a little further. "You may be walking now, but you have dark circles under your eyes. You pushed harder than anyone I know would have to get us to safety. You've been resting, but you still look tired."

Aloy exhaled loudly as her shoulders slumped. "You sure know how to make a girl feel great about herself."

Avad chuckled. "Aloy, you have more to feel great about than anyone. Even if you don't count saving the world."

"Oh?" Aloy looked at him with a single brow lifted in curiosity. "Do I, now? Are you really speaking to me as Just Aloy, and not Seeker or Protector or Annointed or Savior?" She counted off her titles on one hand, looking off into the sky. She felt Avad's hands envelop hers, and she quickly met his gaze again, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"Just Aloy," he said to her quietly. "The only woman I know with equal amounts of compassion, strength, tenacity, skill, and beauty. Even with the shadows under her eyes."

Aloy scoffed and playfully pushed Avad's shoulder. "Way to ruin the moment."

They both shared a childish giggle, but after a moment, Avad's face turned serious. "Really, though, Aloy. I just want you to take care of yourself. If you want to save the world, then save the world. But you can't save the world if you're dead from exhaustion."

Aloy took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded once. "I… I guess I can try."

Avad smiled. "That's all I ask."

Aloy stood, smiling, and took Avad's hand. "Come on. I promised you a long time ago I'd teach you how to use a bow, didn't I?"

"Why does that seem like another lifetime ago?"

Aloy smiled, looking Avad over. "Maybe because you look like you were reborn as a Nora Brave instead of a Carja Ki-"

Avad quickly put his finger over her lips. "About that… Everyone here thinks my name is Kade."

"Well, then… _Kade_…" Aloy smirked. "Follow me and maybe I can make a proper Brave out of you yet." She stood and went over to her tent, coming out in short order with her primary bow and a full quiver. She paused and examined Avad, who stood, but suddenly felt self-conscious under her stare.

Aloy tilted her head slightly, then nodded. She walked up to him and handed him the bow. "There should be some broadheads down that hill. We'll start you off easy."

…

Talanah leaned against the railing on the bridge out of the city with her arms crossed and her head heaved back. She sighed heavily into the sky, waiting for Erend to finish preparing for the journey. _I'd be halfway there by now if he hadn't invited himself_, she thought. She looked over when she heard the jangling of the heavy Oseram armor closing in on her. "Geez, Erend, could you have gone any slower?"

"Well, excuse me, _Sunhawk_," Erend replied sardonically. "Sorry to be such a burden."

"You know, I never knew what Aloy saw in you. I guess I will find out the hard way."

"For your information," he replied as they started walking together, "Aloy is the best friend I have. If you trust her judgment, then you'll get used to me one way or another." Erend shrugged with a smug smile.

"Beautiful," Talanah rolled her eyes. "Just keep in mind, we're just trying to find out what happened to her. Don't go getting too friendly, alright?"

"What, you scared you're gonna fall in love with me and my boyish charm?" Erend smirked and nudged Talanah.

The huntress made no hesitation before she reeled back and punched Erend dead in the jaw, just missing the armor plating on his helmet. As he reeled, she shook her fist out and continued walking. "This is going to be a long trip," she mumbled to herself.

They continued the journey in silence, Erend still rubbing his jaw every now and then. They made their way to the bottom of the hill just outside the city and stopped momentarily. Before crossing the river, Talanah took out a herd of broadheads. The moment she stuck an arrow into the last one, there was a booming sound in the distance behind them.

Erend and Talanah both stood up straight and turned toward Meridian. The sound didn't seem natural, and they both thought they were imagining it. After a moment, another explosion rang through the valley, and a pillar of smoke began to rise into the sky. They glanced over and saw the concern in each other's eyes.

"What the hell was that," Erend said softly.

Talanah opened her mouth to answer when a third and final explosion rang out, louder than the others. She winced, then her eyes widened as she watched the bridge to Meridian crumble from the middle. It was then that she noticed there were multiple plumes of smoke.

"Meridian is under attack. That's the only explanation." Talanah pointed into the distance. "The bridge, the elevator… and there's a third pillar of smoke on the other side of the bridge. Possibly the aqueduct."

Erend made a move to run back, but Talanah held his arm firmly. "No, Erend. We can't."

"What?!"

"The Lodge and the Vanguard can take care of things there. We have to find Aloy and the Sun-King. If we lose them, saving Meridian will be pointless."

Pain crossed over Erend's face as he struggled through the dichotomy before him. His friends and fellow soldiers were in Meridian, still worn from travel. The city was still recovering from the Eclipse attack. But Avad was unaccounted for, and Itamen wasn't ready for the responsibility of becoming the next ruler. Erend sighed and looked down. "Marad had better have his wits about him." He turned toward Talanah. "And you'd better be right."

Talanah took a deep breath. "I sure hope so."


	12. Chapter 12: Accessing

Aloy slowed down to a halt, Avad not far behind, rubbing his shoulder and wincing. When Aloy turned to see that the Broadhead had given up the chase, she let out a boisterous laugh and started meandering down the hill. "The look on your face!" She continued to laugh, but trailed off when she laid eyes on a familiar sight. A small gasp flew through the air, and she knelt down next to a line of purple flowers. Three lines, all surrounding something metallic.

"... I didn't know if there would be more of these," Aloy muttered to herself as she moved towards the metal flower in the center of the triangle. She picked it up and activated her focus, studying it closely. Her brows furrowed as she read the inscription embedded into the code:

/

[function: true]

{{From the mind}}

{{of a single, long vine}}

{{one hundred opening lives.}}

[function: true]

/

"It's beautiful," Avad said quietly, kneeling down next to Aloy.

She slowly shook her head as her mind raced, "It's about a thousand different things, all at once. Beautiful, terrifying, confusing…" She sighed and stood back up, leaving the flower in its place. She looked to Avad, opening her mouth to try to say something, but closed it and shook her head. There weren't enough people in this world who knew enough about what she knew.

A loud crash echoed behind the hunting party beyond the hill. Aloy turned to see a half a dozen Nora Braves running as fast as they could across a field. As Avad rose to see what the commotion was, two thunderjaws broke through the tree line. The gigantic, menacing machines couldn't detect the pair of human bystanders, but that didn't stop Aloy from cursing under her breath.

"We need to leave," Aloy said, strapping her bow to her back.

"What's the matter? I thought you could take one of those down single handedly," questioned Avad, though the tension of the immediate situation was evident in his tone.

Aloy's expression hardened. "One, yes. But there's hardly ever one in this area, let alone two. And the hunting party is running from them. That's never a good sign. We're running out of time."

"Running out of time? For what?"

"Haephestus," Aloy replied. "We need to run. I don't have time to explain."

Aloy paced back and forth in front of Matriarch Teersa. The hunting party had teamed up with another group of braves and taken down the two Thunderjaws with only minor injuries, so they escorted Aloy to Mother's Watch. Aloy was anxious to get answers, and the constant drumming and droning of voices in the villages made her fidgety and irritable. "Teersa, I can't wait much longer. Are you going to let us in or not? You know I'll probably just go in anyway."

Teersa, the old, wise, and kind Matriarch, one of three in the Nora tribe, smiled gently and took Aloy's hands, "Dear Aloy, do not be anxious. You know it will take time for us to understand what All-Mother Mountain's true purpose is. You are always free to go in and out, but we hardly know this… this…"

"Kade," Aloy supplied, flatly.

"Yes, Kade. Though he is quite handsome, dear, eh?"

Aloy scoffed and ripped her hands out out Teersa's as she turned away and crossed her arms.

"I see," nodded Teersa. "Sisters," she shouted to the other Matriarchs. "Have you reached a decision yet?"

The other two Matriarchs turned and nodded. Jezza stepped forward, glancing sidelong at the third woman. "After _much_ deliberation, we have decided that All-Mother's blessing upon Aloy should extend to those she deems worthy. The two may enter the mountain."

The third woman snarled quietly. Matriarch Lansra had always been against Aloy from the very beginning, but she had always been outnumbered, so had gotten used to being overruled.

Aloy straightened and respectfully bowed her head towards the elderly women. She may not believe in the traditions of the Nora tribe, but she had come to respect the leaders' compassion toward the good of the people. After she bowed, she walked quickly into the mountain and made her way into Eleuthia-9, the cradle where she was born. It was still eerie, seeing this place after wondering for so long how she had come to be in this world. She took a steadying breath before stepping in, almost forgetting that Avad had followed her the whole way.

She stumbled a bit when she heard Avad's metallic footsteps behind her, then cleared her throat. "This…" she began, but there was so much to say that she wasn't sure where to begin. "This is going to be very confusing for a while. So, just… stay with me. I'll answer all of your questions later."

Avad stepped slightly closer, with concern painted on his face. "You're shaking, Aloy. Are you cold?"

Aloy swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down at her balled fists. No, she wasn't cold. She was angry and anxious. Angry that Ted Faro had wiped out Apollo. Anxious to find out if maybe what she had planned might help. Though she had so many thoughts swirling in her mind, she could only manage to say, "I'm fine."

They walked together into the Apollo chamber. Aloy's mouth felt dry as she clenched her jaw. She looked down to one of the awaiting focus devices, then over at Avad. "Hm," she muttered. She grabbed a few devices and stuffed them into her satchel. "That'll come in handy."

Continuing around the room, they came to the door to the control room and holo-suites. It opened easily, and Aloy activated her focus. It took a moment, but she found something that looked similar enough to some of the early prototypes found at GAIA Prime. She let out her breath and whispered, "I hope this works," and knelt down next to the control panel. She removed a metal plate and revealed a circular cavity within the machinery. Her eyes closed and her chest heaved with a sigh. Slowly, she took the Master Override device off of the end of the lance and fitted it into the cavity.

Moments slogged by, but a distant whirring suddenly became like a breath of life within the room. Aloy stumbled back and rose to her feet. "No way…" Hesitantly, she laughed. As more lights turned on, she laughed louder and bounced a few times. "Please, please, please, please…" She ran out to the main room and sat at one of the many consoles lining the circular walls. "Please work, please work."

Avad watched in amazement as the room lit up with activity. He had thought that the ruins of the old ones were long dead. Aloy took off her personal focus, but before setting it down, she looked at Avad. After a pause, she put her focus back on and pointed to Avad. "Sit." He obeyed, though he gave her a very suspicious look. She put the new focus over his ear and gestured toward the console, biting her lip nervously. "Give it a try."


	13. Chapter 13: Compiling

**Chapter 13: Compiling**

The world around Avad went dark. The room had been dark already, but the machinery had started to light up. However, the screen surrounding his field of view sparkled to an inky black. A voice, calm and deep as the blackness itself, spoke out.

"In the beginning, there was nothing in this physical world. None to observe it. None to write about it or sing songs about it. We can make conjectures about the beginnings of the universe, but I am here to tell you the wonders of what you can see, feel, and touch."

An image exploded onto the screen, and Aloy jumped as Avad instinctually covered his face with his arms. She held her hand on his shoulder and asked, "Are you alright?"

Avad very solemnly nodded and patted her hand reassuringly. "Yes. Yes, I am."

Satisfied, Aloy stepped back. She would have liked to observe what Apollo had to offer, but she had something of greater significance to take care of. She went back up to the holo-suite room and activated the one closest. The familiar darkness she expected did not envelop her, but instead a tall figure of a man with light skin, dark curls over his head, and a white robe draped over his sculpted muscles. "Welcome, Doctor Sobek. My name is Apollo."

"Apollo," Aloy whispered. So many emotions were fighting to overwhelm her, but she had to control them and find out how much of Apollo had been restored. "I need your help."

"Of course, Doctor Sobek."

"First of all, I'm not Elisabet Sobek." She held her hand up to quickly dismiss Apollo's look of confusion. "I know, I know. I have practically the same DNA, but I'm not her. I was born here, in Eleuthia-9. I need you to tell me what you know about what happened to GAIA."

"One moment, please." Apollo crossed his arms and looked off into the distance. Aloy assumed he was attempting to contact GAIA. "Strange. I cannot communicate with GAIA, but I found her last message to you. This is deeply concerning."

"Yeah, no kidding. So, do you know what happened to the Alphas?"

"This information was saved to the Focus network through your focus device, as is much more information, which I am currently compiling. The fate of the Alphas is… regrettable."

"I think you can help me make things better," Aloy said, her voice hopeful. "Do you know how they built GAIA?"

A red light loomed over Apollo's holographic image. "Warning: the requested information is too extensive to access using the Focus device. Do you wish to download the schematics to a mobile storage device, Doctor?"

"Uh… I… um…" Aloy looked around the room to see if anything would jump out at her as an appropriate vessel, but she had no idea what she was looking for.

"I see," replied Apollo. "If you wish to repair GAIA, I must place the schematic files onto a storage device. From there, you will need to transfer the information to a cauldron large enough to manufacture a new AI core."

"What? Why can't you just talk to the Cauldrons?"

"Unfortunately, though the Focus network is active and accessible, it does not communicate in the same language as the cauldrons. I was not designed to interact with Hephaestus machines, and I do not currently have contact with Hephaestus or any other GAIA subfunctions. I suspect I will not be able to establish a connection with them until GAIA is repaired."

Aloy let out a heavy sigh and sat on the edge of the holo platform. She buried her face in her hands. If she could get control of a cauldron, in theory, the cauldron could do all the work to repair GAIA. But how long would that take? It could take months, maybe years. How long did it take to build GAIA in the first place? If she wanted to eliminate the threat of Hades and Hephaestus, Aloy needed to bring GAIA back immediately and get the subfunctions back under her control.

Aloy suddenly looked up, staring beyond the wall of the room. "Wait. Apollo, if I leave this cradle facility, will I still be able to communicate with you through the Focus network? I think I have an idea."

Apollo tilted his head slightly. "Yes. I can connect to all active Focus devices. A surprising number of them are currently in use."

"Wait… how many?"

"Approximately 1,532 Focus devices are currently active within this region."

Aloy started to pace. She knew the Eclipse had used the Focus devices to communicate, but she figured that after the group had been defeated they would no longer have a need for them, unless... "Can I … monitor them?"

"Ted Faro originally designed the Focus network to be completely private and secure. Though background access exists for repair and maintenance service, I do not have permission to access this feature."

Aloy scoffed. "Sure, Ted. The one place you put a backdoor and I can't shove a -"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Aloy whirled around and let out a sigh of relief at seeing the familiar face. "Oh, Avad! It's just you."

"Ah," Apollo said cheerily. "Avad, congratulations on completing your first level! Did you enjoy your experience?"

Avad smiled and gave a quick bow, "Yes, thank you. It's… a lot to take in."

"Ah, yes. You are a bit older than my originally intended audience, but I am confident that at the appropriate time the Apollo systems will be adequate to educate all ages of any tribes who are willing to participate."

Aloy crossed her arms and leaned on one leg, raising a single brow. "You two, uh… know each other?" She waved her pointer finger between human and hologram.

Avad ran his fingers through his hair and laughed nervously. "Uh, yes. I recognized his voice from the device out there."

Aloy noticed that when Avad moved his hair back, he was still wearing his Focus. She decided it suited him well and made a note to figure out how to communicate directly with it.

"Well, I have a plan. We need to get going again after I talk to the Matriarchs."

"Oh," Avad said, sounding disappointed. "Can we come back?"

"Your progress is saved automatically, Avad. You may resume at any time at any Faro Focus Apollo console, and you may replay key lessons through your Focus device at your leisure!"

Aloy and Avad glanced at each other and nodded, impressed.

"Alright," Aloy finally interrupted her own amusement. "Let's go."

Avad held up his hand. "No. You go." He looked up at her. "I originally came here to broker a treaty with the Nora and open up the Carja borders. Now it is evident that we need the tribe's help once again, and now I am met with this vast library of knowledge. I must admit, that last point is selfish, but I know you don't like dealing in politics. You will be faster on your own, and I will accomplish more if I stay."

Aloy smirked. She was usually the one trying to convince everyone else to let her go alone. "Alright, fair enough. We'll stay in the Nora lodge tonight, and I'll be off in the morning." She glanced over to Apollo. I hope this works. "Thanks for your help, Apollo."

"My pleasure, Doctor Sobek. Logging you out."

"Oh! Wait!" Aloy jumped up and swiped the Focus away from Avad. "Give me this." She held it in her hand as she activated her own Focus. Swiping at the air, she went through a few menus, hoping to see what she wanted. "There it is. Add to contacts." She deactivated her Focus and returned Avad's. "Now we should be able to communicate directly using our Focus."

Avad turned the Focus over in his hand. "The Apollo console was very helpful in getting me used to using this device. Maybe with more practice I'll be as skilled as you."

Aloy took a deep breath and held her hands behind her head, her fingers laced together. "Now I just need to figure out a way to explain this to the Matriarchs."

The world around Avad went dark. The room had been dark already, but the machinery had started to light up. However, the screen surrounding his field of view sparkled to an inky black. A voice, calm and deep as the blackness itself, spoke out.

"In the beginning, there was nothing in this physical world. None to observe it. None to write about it or sing songs about it. We can make conjectures about the beginnings of the universe, but I am here to tell you the wonders of what you can see, feel, and touch."

An image exploded onto the screen, and Aloy jumped as Avad instinctually covered his face with his arms. She held her hand on his shoulder and asked, "Are you alright?"

Avad very solemnly nodded and patted her hand reassuringly. "Yes. Yes, I am."

Satisfied, Aloy stepped back. She would have liked to observe what Apollo had to offer, but she had something of greater significance to take care of. She went back up to the holo-suite room and activated the one closest. The familiar darkness she expected did not envelop her, but instead a tall figure of a man with light skin, dark curls over his head, and a white robe draped over his sculpted muscles. "Welcome, Doctor Sobek. My name is Apollo."

"Apollo," Aloy whispered. So many emotions were fighting to overwhelm her, but she had to control them and find out how much of Apollo had been restored. "I need your help."

"Of course, Doctor Sobek."

"First of all, I'm not Elisabet Sobek." She held her hand up to quickly dismiss Apollo's look of confusion. "I know, I know. I have practically the same DNA, but I'm not her. I was born here, in Eleuthia-9. I need you to tell me what you know about what happened to GAIA."

"One moment, please." Apollo crossed his arms and looked off into the distance. Aloy assumed he was attempting to contact GAIA. "Strange. I cannot communicate with GAIA, but I found her last message to you. This is deeply concerning."

"Yeah, no kidding. So, do you know what happened to the Alphas?"

"This information was saved to the Focus network through your focus device, as is much more information, which I am currently compiling. The fate of the Alphas is… regrettable."

"I think you can help me make things better," Aloy said, her voice hopeful. "Do you know how they built GAIA?"

A red light loomed over Apollo's holographic image. "Warning: the requested information is too extensive to access using the Focus device. Do you wish to download the schematics to a mobile storage device, Doctor?"

"Uh… I… um…" Aloy looked around the room to see if anything would jump out at her as an appropriate vessel, but she had no idea what she was looking for.

"I see," replied Apollo. "If you wish to repair GAIA, I must place the schematic files onto a storage device. From there, you will need to transfer the information to a cauldron large enough to manufacture a new AI core."

"What? Why can't you just talk to the Cauldrons?"

"Unfortunately, though the Focus network is active and accessible, it does not communicate in the same language as the cauldrons. I was not designed to interact with Hephaestus machines, and I do not currently have contact with Hephaestus or any other GAIA subfunctions. I suspect I will not be able to establish a connection with them until GAIA is repaired."

Aloy let out a heavy sigh and sat on the edge of the holo platform. She buried her face in her hands. If she could get control of a cauldron, in theory, the cauldron could do all the work to repair GAIA. But how long would that take? It could take months, maybe years. How long did it take to build GAIA in the first place? If she wanted to eliminate the threat of Hades and Hephaestus, Aloy needed to bring GAIA back immediately and get the subfunctions back under her control.

Aloy suddenly looked up, staring beyond the wall of the room. "Wait. Apollo, if I leave this cradle facility, will I still be able to communicate with you through the Focus network? I think I have an idea."

Apollo tilted his head slightly. "Yes. I can connect to all active Focus devices. A surprising number of them are currently in use."

"Wait… how many?"

"Approximately 1,532 Focus devices are currently active within this region."

Aloy started to pace. She knew the Eclipse had used the Focus devices to communicate, but she figured that after the group had been defeated they would no longer have a need for them, unless... "Can I … monitor them?"

"Ted Faro originally designed the Focus network to be completely private and secure. Though background access exists for repair and maintenance service, I do not have permission to access this feature."

Aloy scoffed. "Sure, Ted. The one place you put a backdoor and I can't shove a -"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Aloy whirled around and let out a sigh of relief at seeing the familiar face. "Oh, Avad! It's just you."

"Ah," Apollo said cheerily. "Avad, congratulations on completing your first level! Did you enjoy your experience?"

Avad smiled and gave a quick bow, "Yes, thank you. It's… a lot to take in."

"Ah, yes. You are a bit older than my originally intended audience, but I am confident that at the appropriate time the Apollo systems will be adequate to educate all ages of any tribes who are willing to participate."

Aloy crossed her arms and leaned on one leg, raising a single brow. "You two, uh… know each other?" She waved her pointer finger between human and hologram.

Avad ran his fingers through his hair and laughed nervously. "Uh, yes. I recognized his voice from the device out there."

Aloy noticed that when Avad moved his hair back, he was still wearing his Focus. She decided it suited him well and made a note to figure out how to communicate directly with it.

"Well, I have a plan. We need to get going again after I talk to the Matriarchs."

"Oh," Avad said, sounding disappointed. "Can we come back?"

"Your progress is saved automatically, Avad. You may resume at any time at any Faro Focus Apollo console, and you may replay key lessons through your Focus device at your leisure!"

Aloy and Avad glanced at each other and nodded, impressed.

"Alright," Aloy finally interrupted her own amusement. "Let's go."

Avad held up his hand. "No. You go." He looked up at her. "I originally came here to broker a treaty with the Nora and open up the Carja borders. Now it is evident that we need the tribe's help once again, and now I am met with this vast library of knowledge. I must admit, that last point is selfish, but I know you don't like dealing in politics. You will be faster on your own, and I will accomplish more if I stay."

Aloy smirked. She was usually the one trying to convince everyone else to let her go alone. "Alright, fair enough. We'll stay in the Nora lodge tonight, and I'll be off in the morning." She glanced over to Apollo. _I hope this works._ "Thanks for your help, Apollo."

"My pleasure, Doctor Sobek. Logging you out."

"Oh! Wait!" Aloy jumped up and swiped the Focus away from Avad. "Give me this." She held it in her hand as she activated her own Focus. Swiping at the air, she went through a few menus, hoping to see what she wanted. "There it is. Add to contacts." She deactivated her Focus and returned Avad's. "Now we should be able to communicate directly using our Focus."

Avad turned the Focus over in his hand. "The Apollo console was very helpful in getting me used to using this device. Maybe with more practice I'll be as skilled as you."

Aloy took a deep breath and held her hands behind her head, her fingers laced together. "Now I just need to figure out a way to explain this to the Matriarchs."


End file.
